Where Destiny Leads
by Pagan Twylight
Summary: When Jacob Carter and a group of Tok'Ra stumble across another Tok'Ra thought to be long dead, they soon find themselves and SG-1 in a race to find and rescue another Tok'Ra long a prisoner of Ra, one whose very existence could mean the survival of an entire species…And they must succeed before Apophis finds out and stops them. Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Malek/OC, Daniel/Anise
1. The Last Tok'Ra 1 WDL

**_Disclaimer:_** All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment, not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real person, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

**_Story Summary: _**_When Jacob Carter and a group of Tok'Ra stumble across another Tok'Ra thought to be long dead, they soon find themselves and SG-1 in a race to find and rescue another Tok'Ra long a prisoner of Ra, one whose very existence could mean the survival of an entire species…And they must succeed before Apophis finds out and stops them. _

**_Chapter One Summary:_**_ On a routine mission, the Tok'Ra stumble upon a Tok'Ra long believed dead. They take him with them to the SGC and care for him as he has been seriously wounded. _

**_Pairing: _**_Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise, Malek/Other_

**Rating: _Has been censored for posting on T rating._** For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 web address is in my bio.

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host Communication_

* * *

**_Where Destiny Leads_**

**_Chapter One_**

**_The Last Tok'Ra_**

* * *

The Tok'Ra lying on the floor opened his host's eyes without awakening him. It would be better if he remained unconscious for the time being; they were both exhausted and in a great deal of pain. And despair. What were they to do, he wondered, not for the first time? There was no place for him to go. No place safe to hide. They had failed in their mission, and the taste of that failure was bitter in his mouth and burned in his mind. It did not seem to matter anymore. There was nothing…nothing for him here, or anywhere, for that matter.

Shaking off those kinds of thoughts, he frowned, wondering where the Jaffa that had been hounding them were now. The last thing he remembered, after getting hit by the staff weapon's blast, was making it into a room that had appeared to be a storeroom. The Jaffa had been spreading out, looking for him. It was only a matter of time until they found him.

His eyes opened wider. He had set his zat'nik'tel to overload and explode because they could not put pieces of him in the sarcophagus and revive him. At least, he thought he remembered doing that. He frowned in concentration and relived his actions. Yes. There, he was setting it. He had been leaning against some shelves, barely able to stand, and he remembered that, as he stood at the shelves, he had, in fact, fallen forward. What then? What had happened then?

He had grabbed at the shelves and managed to stay halfway upright, but he had lost his grip on his zat'nik'tel. He had dropped it, and he wanted to be sure he was blown to pieces by it. His fingers had closed around something that might have been his weapon, but his memories were getting fuzzier now. He did not know if he had found it or not, but he no longer seemed to have it, only the second one. He could feel it still on his belt. He had not had time to set it, too; he remembered that. Think, fool, he told himself. He had forced himself to stand and—and what, he wondered again, as his mind once again became foggy and refused to give up the memories.

The next time he awoke, he realized there was light in the room and there were no shelves. Surely the room he had been in had been dark and it had definitely had shelves. He grimaced as the pain in his head reached a crescendo, bringing him to the edge of unconsciousness again, and then retreated to bearable levels. Fighting the nausea that threatened, he wondered how long he had been unconscious.

How had he gotten out of the storage room? And why had not the weapon blown up and taken him with it? Maybe it had and this was the afterlife. If so, he was going to complain to administration. Somehow, this was not what he had expected. All right, pull in those wandering thoughts. He was alive. He was breathing; he knew he was, because every breath caused intense pain. That was from the broken ribs, he was sure.

Focus. He must focus. He was lying on the floor, so had he crawled here? It did not really matter how he had gotten here; he should find somewhere to conceal himself. Looking around as well as he could from his prone position on the floor, he managed to lift his head and take in a little more of the room. He was lying on the floor between a large table and an upright piece of stone that looked to be some form of artwork.

He frowned, again trying to recall what had happened after he entered the storage room. The Jaffa had been combing the building, hunting him. He set the zat'nik'tel to overload and then he fell, or started to. Staring at the artwork, he seemed to remember that it had been in the storage room, and he had fallen against it, after trying to stand upright at the shelves. That was actually the last thing he remembered.

He held his breath and listened closely. He could no longer hear the Jaffa. Had they somehow missed him, and he then crawled out here into this larger lighter room? However, if so, what about the zat'nik'tel that should have overloaded and exploded? Trying to think was making the pain in his head immeasurably worse.

He sighed, as his eyelids again fluttered closed. Did it really matter? Did anything matter anymore? All the other Tok'Ra were gone. Jolinar, Ren'al, Aldwin, all gone. Per'sus, Garshaw, Delek, and Anise, were all dead. He had watched Malek die a few hours ago, and Selmak had followed. He had disintegrated both of them himself, so that Apophis could not revive and torture them anymore. He, Selmak, and Malek had been the last of the Tok'Ra. They had failed in this, their final mission. Now, it was just him. _Forgive us, our queen, we have failed you. I have failed you. We could not defeat the System Lords for you. We accomplished nothing for you. _He sent his message outward and hoped that somehow his Queen would know that they had tried and how sorry he was that they had all failed her.

Where were the Jaffa? Surely, they would not give up looking for him? He would be a grand prize to take back with them to their Lord Apophis. The last Tok'Ra. Apophis would celebrate and declare himself the ruler of all the System Lords now that Ra was gone, and he had completely wiped out the Tok'Ra, except for one. And that one, him, Apophis would keep to torture. Endlessly.

He should set the other zat'nik'tel on overload and try again to be sure they could not take him back. No matter how he had managed to evade them, they would surely return to look for him. Again, he frowned, trying to remember what had happened. Had the stone he fell against protected him and they assumed he had died in the blast? Perhaps, but it seemed unlikely. However, _'if_' that was what had taken place, then he should try to find somewhere to conceal himself. Could he lie behind that large piece of stone artwork and remain concealed?

Finally, managing to roll over, he started crawling toward the back of the large piece of artwork. He got only a few feet, before he had to stop to rest. Realizing that he still could hear no sounds of others nearby, he decided to try to repair some of the damage done to himself and his host. His poor host would be in a great deal of pain, if he regained consciousness. Now that he could no longer hear the Jaffa, he would take the time to repair some of it, and then rest to gain some more strength. If worse came to worst, perhaps he could rig the zat'nik'tel to disintegrate them, if someone came too close? A trip wire of some sort, perhaps? No, a trip wire would not work, as it would take three shots to disintegrate them. If he set it at maximum power, though, it would take little time to overload. Perhaps he could manage something that would begin the process. He would have to think on it, as he tried to heal some of these many wounds.

They must have somehow missed him in their search, although he did not see how, unless the damage to the storeroom had been extensive, and if that were so, he did not know how he had survived it.

He moaned to himself at his inability to think logically. He had to stop letting his thoughts run in circles this way. He would worry about all of these things later. For now, he needed to do as much as he could to repair the damage they had suffered, and then he must find a better place to hide and rest.

A few hours later, his efforts received their reward. _"Are you all right?" _His host asked anxiously, as he came back to consciousness and began to feel the pain of their injuries.

_"I am here, dear one, and I am well. I was not injured badly, thank the stars, but you were, I am afraid."_

_"Yes, I can feel it, although I am guessing it was much worse before I awoke."_

_"Yes, it was, but it is getting better. There was a great deal of damage, though. There were the remnants of the torture we underwent, as well as a staff blast wound, some broken ribs, a knife wound, and a concussion. And that does not mention the multitude of cuts, bruises, and abrasions. I am sorry it is taking me so long, but I am feeling weak, yet, from the effects of the ribbon device." _

_"You should rest now and attempt to regain some of your strength. We appear to be quite alone here, at least for now, and you need to gain all the strength you can, if we are to get away." _Wrinkling his brow in thought, his host inquired._ "Correct me if I am wrong, but did we not set one of our zat'nik'tels to explode and, ah, to put it bluntly, blow us into, we hoped, a multiplicity of pieces?" _

_"Yes. I am sure we did. I remember doing it. Then we fell and I dropped it. I thought I had it back in my hand, but as I tried to stand, I fell backwards into a very large piece of stone artwork. I have no idea how we withstood the blast and managed to leave that room. I cannot recall any of it."_

_"Nevertheless, either we remained undetected after the blast, or we are dead. Somehow, I thought the accommodations in the afterlife would be a little more, well, accommodating, and, er, comfortable."_

A chuckle, albeit weak and unexpected, was followed by a response._ "I considered that also, dear one, and decided that there was too much pain involved for us to be dead. As for getting some rest, I am afraid I must agree. I could certainly do nothing at this moment to help you to escape from here. Our ribs are partially healed, and the stab wound is no longer bleeding. The concussion is somewhat better, but I am afraid it really was very severe to begin with, and I have simply done enough to reduce the swelling and make sure the small amount of bleeding stopped. I think the staff blast is the most painful at the moment?"_ He asked him anxiously.

_"Yes, but it is bearable. Please, rest for a short time. You tried to protect me from the ribbon for quite some time, so I know you must be feeling extremely weak."_

_"All right, I will, but first we must attempt to get to a little more cover. If that large piece of artwork protected us from the blast, perhaps it will also help to shield us from sight. You should probably attempt to move us behind it."_

Pulling himself farther behind the large stone, he made himself as small as he could and not end up in excruciating pain. He tried to stay awake, but the concussion would not cooperate. He soon joined his symbiote in slumber.

* * *

"Explain to me again, why we are here, Anise? 'Cause I don't like being on a planet where there's a warning from a Goa'uld to stay away because he's left some contaminant behind," Jacob's somewhat testy voice reached Anise, as she wandered around the room.

"We will be all right as long as we stay for no more than a day or so and remain inside. Since we will be here at most an hour or so, I hardly think we need be concerned. Most of the contaminant has long since decayed, according to our scanner readings. Dr. Jackson told me about this place, and it seemed to be a place we should take the time to explore to see if we could find anything that might be of use to us in our battle against the System Lords. While I do not expect to find weapons, there could very well be texts or artifacts that would be useful in pointing us toward something," Anise explained her reasoning patiently, once again, to the testy ex-General.

Devlin came forward to grin at Jacob. "Let us face it, Jacob. Anise wished to try out the latest toy they have come up with, and this seemed to be an ideal spot to do so. Supposedly, it is an improvement on our previous scanners for contaminants in the atmosphere, and even I must admit that this is an ideal place for her to see if it truly works as well as they believe it will. Furthermore, at the same time, she will be allowed to indulge her passion for archaeology, which means she could possibly then indulge her passion for a certain archaeologist, who will remain anonymous."

Jacob Carter laughed shortly, and responded, "I'm surprised Malek puts up with you sometimes, Dev. He's ever the gentleman, and to talk about Anise like that must hurt his sensibilities."

"Malek knows I will not hold him responsible for his host's lack of manners and good taste, Jacob, just as Selmak knows I will never hold him responsible for your somewhat rude behavior." Having shot her salvos over the bow, so to speak, she headed for a bank of equipment lined up against one wall that looked promising; it appeared to be some type of data collection terminal.

"If they had or knew about some weapon, wouldn't it make sense that they would have used it themselves? Hm? Obviously, they were destroyed, so I don't think you're going to find what you are looking for." Jacob shot back, as she walked away toward the equipment.

"The fact that they were destroyed means nothing, Jacob. They could have had something and simply not known what they had. It will take very little time to look through their archives. If we find nothing, so be it, but I do not think we should pass up the chance to at least look." Finally reaching the intriguing bank of machines, she immediately became immersed in it, and succeeded in relegating the two men to the recesses of her mind, where they could cause no trouble.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, you go ahead and see if that's some kind of data base, and I'm going to check out some of these other rooms. Dev, you're with me. Jorlin, stay with Anise," Jacob fell easily into what Selmak had labeled his '_Tau'ri General mode',_ as he headed for a room near the back of the building. He wasn't getting any weird vibes, but that didn't mean anything. He didn't always get them, so he never depended only on them. Responsibility dictated that he check out all these rooms, and he'd just feel better knowing there were no nasty surprises on this so-called deserted world.

"Jacob, you should not give Anise such a hard time about these missions. After all, in the end, you get to visit with your daughter and sometimes your son. Moreover, she is even more thorough, than she used to be, ever since the za'tarc incident. She would not bring us to this world, if she felt the atmosphere was truly dangerous to us. She does not show her emotions on her sleeve, as you would say, but she does have them," Malek chided him.

Jacob glanced at Malek in surprise and had the grace to feel a little ashamed of his baiting the woman. What Malek said was true. She had never forgiven herself for not testing Martouf.

His inner voice, known as Selmak, added its opinion to the conversation, _"She and Martouf did not always see things the same way, but both were loyal to the cause, and she did mourn his passing, Jacob. And she felt even worse when she could not save Martouf, even though Samantha did not really believe her."_

_"I know, Sel. Sorry. I'll try to do better, it's just these damn science trips get to me, y'know?"_

_"You are sounding like O'Neill, Jacob."_

_"Enough said, Sel; point taken."_

Turning back to Malek, he told him, "I'll make it up to her, Malek. I don't know why I tease her so much, but I'll try not to in future. I guess I can't help but tease her because I know she likes Daniel, and to tell you the truth, I'm not so sure that Daniel would be that averse to her. Especially, since Freya seems to have gotten over her thing for Jack and realized that Daniel is, as the nurses in the infirmary say, _'hot'_."

"I believe she is the one you should tell that to, Jacob," Malek said, and then frowned, as he assimilated the remainder of Jacob's sentence. "How does his skin temperature affect his appeal, his attractiveness? Do Tau'ri women prefer their men to have warmer skin?" He asked, confused.

Jacob stared at him, as Sel howled in his head. _"Stop laughing so hard Sel, you're going to give me a brain hemorrhage, and if you don't stop, I'll make you explain it."_

Still chortling, Selmak said, _"I suggest you use the example of the blonde Lieutenant that was overheard commenting on his, er, nice little butt, and that she wondered if he would be as 'hot' in the rack, as he looked like he would be."_

_"Thank you. I can see you were paying attention, even though you assured me you were 'not' listening to my conversation with Janet."_

_"I was not listening to your conversation. I was listening to the blonde Lieutenant talk about Malek's…"_

_"All right, all right, I get the point—sheesh."_

_"Malek is still waiting for an explanation. He will simply ask again, if you do not answer him soon."_ Selmak pointed out heartlessly, still snickering in the back of his head.

"Malek, ah, Tau'ri women don't mean skin temperature, when they say a man is, um, _'hot_'."

"No?"

"No."

"Then to what do they refer, Jacob?" Malek asked, puzzled.

"Well, they say that about a man they find, er, well, they think he is really, um, physically attractive," Jacob finally managed to come up with sensible words to describe what he was trying to say.

Malek's frown deepened. "That does not make sense, Jacob."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it does not. How do they get _'hot'_ from physical attractiveness?"

Jacob's eyes flared and Selmak came forward to say, "You must ask Jacob about the blonde Lieutenant, Malek. That will explain it."

"What blonde Lieutenant, and what does a blonde Lieutenant have to do with our discussion?" Malek asked, becoming frustrated.

As Selmak gave control back to Jacob, he berated him soundly, _"That was not a good thing to tell him. How could you do that? Now I have to tell him that soldier thinks he's hot and she would…oh, never mind."_

_"Exactly. Now you can explain using the woman and himself as an example."_

Jacob sighed. "All right. Do you remember the blonde Lieutenant that was your escort the last time we were on Earth?"

"Yes, she kept falling behind me, as we walked down the hall." Malek frowned, as he remembered that. She had been very attractive, and he would have liked to get to know her better; however, it was difficult to talk to someone who was always walking behind one.

"Yeah, well, that's because she was admiring the view," Jacob said, sardonically.

"I beg your pardon?" Malek looked as if he was beginning to think that Jacob had lost his mind.

"She was watching you walk, Malek. Sel and I overheard her later talking to a friend. She said you had a really cute a_, er, butt, that she thought you were really _'hot'_ looking, and she wondered if you were as _'hot' _in bed as your looks and walk said you were. When a Tau'ri woman says a guy is _'hot',_ she means he turns her on. Sexually. Satisfied now?" Jacob said, as he came close to blushing at having to get so blunt.

Malek stared at Jacob with a blank look on his face that was slowly replaced by a slight smugness. "She liked my…? Really? And she called me, ah, _'hot'?_"

"Yeah, get over it, okay?"

"I am sure she was speaking of Devlin, Jacob. I cannot imagine a Tau'ri woman looking at a Tok'Ra in that way."

"Really? Then why did she say Malek and Devlin, the Tok'Ra? Hm? She meant both of you. They're curious if the Tok'Ra are as passionate as they've heard. Furthermore, they find the whole idea sexy as hell; let me tell you. And no, I don't know why. Now, do you think we can leave the Tau'ri Sex Education Lecture Class, until later and, instead, finish checking out this building for possible threats?"

"Of course, Jacob." Malek bowed his head, "Lead the way."

"Thank you. I will." Jacob watched Malek and saw a small smile curve his lips, as he no doubt replayed their conversation with Devlin. No doubt, they were planning their seduction scene for the next time they encountered Lieutenant Donovan. Great. It was going to be a long day, he could just tell.

_"Stop grousing, and go open the door, Jacob, and consider that you probably just made Malek and Dev's day. Maybe even their week,"_ Selmak laughed at Jacob's disgruntlement.

_"Good, but I'm not playing matchmaker. I absolutely refuse, so if you want that done, you can do it yourself,"_ He was still very testy in his response, as they approached a closed door at the very back of the building.

Looking at Jacob, Malek read the hand signal and took his six, holding his weapon held at the ready, as Jacob cautiously opened the door. He waited for a threat to appear. Nothing. There were no surprises, no Goa'uld jumping them, no alien beings attacking them.

Entering the back room through the door he'd just opened, Jacob looked around and whistled silently. Daniel would have had a field day in here, if he'd had time. From what he understood, though, they hadn't ventured out of the main room, other than to take a very quick look, when they came here, because of the warning.

Anise had been wishing to look at them, ever since Daniel told her about its similarity to the world where they found the quantum mirror. The world where Daniel had visited an alternate reality and brought back the information that Apophis was about to strike Earth. He'd said it wasn't really the same, except the artifacts stored around had reminded him of that other world. That, and the warning sign; they'd learned to recognize these warning signs, since seeing it at that time. Well, whatever, they were here, and he wasn't going to leave these rooms unchecked regardless how deserted it appeared.

Rounding the end of the table, he almost tripped over the brown-clad figure lying face down on the floor, a partially healed staff blast on his shoulder and down his side. Signaling to Malek to come around the other way to cover him, he drew his zat, even as he was frowning down at the body. It was Tok'Ra from the clothes, and he sensed a symbiote, albeit a weak, obviously injured one, but—why were they here on a contaminated, deserted planet? As far as he knew, they had no one missing now. Was this a Tok'Ra they had given up as dead? Was he one that they had inadvertently left behind? The thought made him feel sick. Well, whoever it was, they were in very bad shape, from the looks of them, and the energy signal the symbiote was giving off was extremely weak.

He slowly reached for the shoulder and carefully turned the body over. Then he stared, in shock, as blue-gray eyes slowly opened and looked back at him in alarm. No, this could not possibly be.

"Selmak?" Martouf asked weakly, before turning his head to look at the other Tok'Ra standing there. "Malek? But you are both dead!"

Catching his breath, Jacob quickly reverted to form. "Well, I hate to burst your bubble, chum, but you happen to be the one that's dead," he shot back at him.

Jacob had moved back and was watching him through narrowed eyes. As the man that looked like Martouf attempted to sit up, his eyes glowed and Jacob covered him with his zat. Malek did the same.

"I assure you, Jacob, neither Martouf nor I are dead, although I watched both you and Malek die, quite recently, in fact," Lantash said quietly. "You died during our last mission and depending on how long I have been unconscious, it was probably less than a day ago."

As they continued to stare at him, not quite sure what to say to him, Anise entered from the other room. "You were correct, Jacob, there is nothing of importance here."

Lantash stared at her, as Jacob answered firmly, "Oh, I wouldn't say that, Anise. I think we've found something very interesting. I'm just not sure how it got here, or what to do with it."

As Anise rounded the table, and saw Martouf, she gasped. Looking from Jacob to Malek to Martouf, she finally asked, "What is going on?"

"We don't know. I think I just said that, didn't I?" Jacob asked, of no one in particular.

"I do not understand any of this. Anise has been dead for quite some time. You and Malek died quite recently, as I said. Who are you?"

"He came through the mirror," Anise announced suddenly.

"What?" Jacob yelped. Selmak took control, and asked, "What do you mean, Anise?"

"Martouf is dead in our reality, in our universe, and so is Lantash. Yet, here they are, and they think that we are all dead. It is the only explanation, Selmak. And there is the mirror, behind him." Turning to Lantash, she asked, "Why did you come through the mirror?"

"We did not," Lantash insisted.

"Can you tell us what happened? If you think we are dead, then we need to know why you believe that."

"We have been injured worse than I thought, and Martouf's head injury is causing delusions. That is the only possible explanation. I must rest now, and when I awaken, you will all be gone," Lantash said, as he sighed and closed his eyes.

"Well, I'll tell you what, since we're hallucinations, why don't you humor us, and tell us what happened? Maybe by going over the events, it will make us go away," Jacob said, as he took control again.

"Fine. You seem to be just as intractable, as a hallucination, as you were when you were alive," Lantash snapped, as he opened his eyes and glared at the image of Jacob and Selmak, which he was sure his subconscious was inventing for him. "We were captured and tortured by Apophis. Malek died shortly after we escaped. We disintegrated him, so that they could not capture and torture him again. A staff blast killed you, as we attempted to get through the Chaappa'ai. I did the same to you. I made it through, but they followed, for I would be a great prize."

"I found what appeared to be a storage room. I had a staff blast wound and multiple injuries. I set my weapon to overload, so that I would be in too many pieces for them to revive me. I collapsed against some shelves and when I tried to straighten up, I fell backward into a large piece of artwork. I believe that I must have passed out. When I awoke, the Jaffa appeared to be gone, and I had somehow managed to get into this room, although I do not remember doing so. Nor do I know how I survived the blast of the weapon exploding."

He had closed his eyes again, as he recounted what had happened. He opened them and announced, "You are still here. Why are you still here? Stop torturing me with what cannot possibly exist. Go away," he said firmly, as he once again closed his eyes. "I do not need hallucinations and delusions to talk to; it will give my position away."

As the majority of the group stared at him in perplexity, Anise found the control to the mirror close by, near some smears of blood. She imagined that it was probably where they had landed, and then crawled away from it. There was another control on the table in front of them. She turned to Lantash, and said, "You did not fall into a piece of stone artwork. You fell through the mirror."

Lantash once more opened his eyes, glared at her and then attempted to rise. Malek came to him and assisted him to at least sit-up. "Do not try to get on your feet yet. You have been badly injured, from what we can see," he said, as he crouched behind him to allow him to lean against him.

Anise took the control and turned it on. A Jaffa appeared in front of them, but he had his back turned to the mirror. He appeared to be sifting through what looked like a great deal of twisted metal and debris. It looked as if a bomb had gone off. As he turned, they saw the gold emblem denoting the First Prime of Apophis on his forehead. It was Teal'c. Anise turned the control off, as Lantash attempted to get to his feet. Adrenalin gave him the extra push he needed, and helped by Malek, he made it to a standing position, breathing heavily.

"Now they know we are here, they will come through, will they not?" Lantash asked, his face and tone emotionless.

"No. They cannot," Anise assured him, "You brought their control with you. They cannot turn the mirror on."

Selmak took control and turned to Lantash, watching him, as he leaned heavily against Malek, "I would guess that your weapon overloaded from the amount of debris that was there, unless it was like that before?"

"No. It was a storage room of some sort. Neatly stacked shelves, artifacts, and artwork. So, I was not so far off in my estimation. I did not think Teal'c would have given up looking for me so easily. If nothing else, he would want pieces of my body to take back to Apophis as proof of my death. He will probably kill one of his Jaffa and pass his body off as mine," he said bitterly. "That was one of the things that made no sense. There was no one here that I could tell. There was no wreckage from an explosion, and no storeroom. Nothing was as it should have been." He smiled slightly, saying, "At least, I have one consolation. He did not kill the last Tok'Ra. I am still alive."

"The last Tok'Ra? What do you mean?" Selmak asked quietly.

Nodding toward the mirror, Lantash said, "You, Malek, and I were the last Tok'Ra alive. We were on a last mission. And we failed, as we have failed in every other way to defeat the System Lords in our universe," he said, his voice heavy with regret and bitterness. "So, I am the last."

"Not any more. There are not a great number of us in our reality, Lantash, but you are no longer the last of your race. You are most welcome here, and from what you have said, I believe you left nothing of value behind?"

"No," Lantash said sadly, as he began to believe they were telling him the truth. "We left nothing of value behind. Nothing at all. With the failure of our mission, all was truly lost…for all time." Then, as his position hit him anew, he looked at them, realizing they were indeed alive, and he was, too. In addition, if they were alive in this, reality, or whatever he had stumbled into, then it was possible…looking at Selmak, he asked, urgently, "My mate? Is my mate alive in this, ah, in this place?"

Selmak shook his head, sadly. "No. No, Lantash, I am sorry, your mate died a long time ago."

Lantash nodded slowly, before saying, "But, at least here in your, your…"

"It is our reality, Lantash. The mirror sends you to alternate realities," Anise said, calmly.

Nodding, he continued, "In your reality, then, at least you are all still alive, whereas in mine, you are not."

"Unless you wish to return to that," Selmak inclined his head towards the mirror, indicating what they had seen, "then this is now your reality, as well. There should be no problem, for in this reality, you are the one that has been gone for quite some time."

Malek had been holding onto this man, who had been his friend, for many years, and now he said quietly, "Welcome to your new world, Lantash. It will be good to have you and Martouf back with us. We have missed you greatly."

Lantash nodded, saying, "Although many things seem to be very different in this reality, it seems that some are exactly the same. We were very close friends in my reality, the three of us. I feel that perhaps we were also close friends here?"

"Yes, we were very close. It was extremely painful to lose you," Malek told him softly.

Lantash smiled slightly, as he pressed Malek's shoulder with his fingers, squeezing slightly. Then, he quietly collapsed.

"He is obviously badly hurt," Malek said, as he shifted him to get a better hold on him.

"We must, of course, take him with us," Anise stated, as she gathered the things together that Daniel had asked for her to bring back with her, if they ever went to this planet. She had found some interesting archaeological data. They would now be on their way to the Tau'ri for the meeting they had scheduled for later today.

"Should we not take him to the base?" Malek asked.

Jacob frowned, hesitating. They were due on Earth. "You have your healing device, do you not, Selmak?" Anise asked them.

"Yes," Jacob answered for them, "We do, and even if we didn't, Sam has one." He looked at the collapsed man, for a moment, and then made a decision. "Lay him down, Malek. I'm going to go over him with the healing device quickly to see if there's anything that's urgent that needs taken care of now. I'd rather get him well, before we put him through an interrogation by the council. We'll take him with us to Earth, first, and make sure he and Martouf have their strength back, before we take him to the Tok'Ra base."

Doing as Jacob asked, they soon lowered him to the floor. Jacob put the healing device on and starting at his head, he slowly ran it down his entire body, taking time in spots that he felt needed immediate care. Stopping, he shook his head, saying, "He's in bad shape, but I think if we can get him to the Tau'ri, get some IV's started and use the healing device on him, he'll be okay. Although his injuries are bad, they aren't life threatening, for now anyway. I suspect that Lantash is weak from torture, his injuries, and trying to heal Martouf."

Activating the healing device and running it over him one more time, just to be sure, he was finally satisfied that he had done enough, and they would be able to survive the ride through the gate. "Okay, let's head for Earth. Dial us up and send the code, Jorlin," Jacob told her, as he went to help Malek carry Martouf and Lantash. It was going to be a shock to Sam. They might as well take this fence and stream in one long jump; there was no easy way to tell her.

Frowning as she looked at Martouf, Anise said, "As soon as he awakens, we should tell him about Teal'c. If he should wake up and see him there, it could cause him to injure himself or someone else." Anise was, as always, logical, pragmatic, and thinking ahead.

"Give me his zat, Malek. With our luck, he'll wake up in the gate room, Teal'c will be there, and he'll shoot first and ask questions later. And that is '_not'_ the way to win friends and influence people in your new reality," Jacob said, taking the zat and securing it well away from Martouf. As their code was accepted, he looked at the group and gave a lopsided grin, saying laconically, "As O'Neill would say, 'To Oz'."

As he stared at the blue of the event horizon, Jacob wished he felt as jaunty as he sounded. While he knew they couldn't just leave Martouf here, he wondered what repercussions taking him with them to the Tau'ri would have. It was irrelevant, really, whether they found out about him now or later, he just wished he could have found out a little more about his reality before taking him anywhere in this one.

They stepped onto the ramp on the other side, and the wormhole disengaged behind them. Jacob and Malek lowered Martouf to the floor as they waited for the gurney they knew would be coming as soon as the SGC realized there were casualties among them. They could hear the call going out for a med team even now. Kneeling beside the unconscious man, he looked up to see Teal'c leaning over them.

"General Carter, you appear to have need of medical assistance, which I feel sure, will be here shortly," Teal'c said, his voice its normal stoic cadence.

Jacob felt Martouf stir, and he straightened, twisting toward Teal'c to ask him to please step back, when he heard Malek's quickly indrawn breath. He glanced down in time to see the glow fade in Martouf's eyes, indicating that Lantash had come to the fore.

He stared at Teal'c for a moment and then turned to glare at Jacob, who braced himself for the explosion he knew was coming. He was unprepared for the mildness of Lantash's words, as he said, "I knew I was hallucinating. Why will you not all simply go away?" With that, his eyes closed, and he once again passed into unconsciousness.

TBC


	2. New Friends, Old Memories 2 WDL

**_Chapter Two Summary: _ **_Even as Jacob and Selmak heal Martouf and Lantash's wounds, they become concerned when neither of them regain consciousness. Soon the blended pair on the bed slide into Amek'tel kek'ma'tel, brain fever. Selmak and Malek work for many hours in an attempt to bring them safely through it and are at last relieved as they heal. As they spend time together before the briefing planned, for the next day, the six of them realize how very much like their respective selves they each are. Sam and Daniel return from their off world mission and walk into the briefing room, unprepared for what they will find. _

**_Rating this Chapter:_**_ PG-14_

**_Amek'tel kek'ma'tel – _**_Brain fever brought on by repeated use of a ribbon device without time to heal the damage between torture sessions._

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host Communication_

* * *

**_Where Destiny Leads_**

**_Chapter Two_**

**_New Friends, Old Memories_**

* * *

Jacob Carter stood beside the infirmary bed and allowed the healing device to shut down. Martouf's injuries had been serious, extremely so. Janet had started an IV, so they were taking care of the dehydration problem, and he was attempting to take care of the other injuries with the healing device. So far, he had completed healing the rib, the knife wound was almost gone, and the staff blast wound was no longer a mixture of raw, charred, and blistered flesh. While it wasn't completely healed, it was much better, and it wouldn't take much longer to finish healing it completely. The multiple cuts, bruises, and minor abrasions, didn't really concern him.

The thing that had him sighing and frowning down at the figure in the bed was the fact that neither Martouf nor Lantash had regained consciousness, after the last time in the gate room, and he had again thought that they were hallucinations. He could feel Lantash's energy signature better now, so he was gaining strength. That was not as much of a concern, as it had been earlier, either.

However, the fact that they had not regained consciousness again was worrying. Jacob was confident that Lantash had healed some of the concussion, as he had done some healing on all of the major injuries. So he didn't think that it was the concussion that was keeping him from waking up. Janet agreed, but felt the trauma alone could cause him to retreat, at least for a short time. However, the longer it went without him regaining consciousness, the more concerned they both became. She was as concerned as he was, he could tell. And she didn't know what he knew.

The damage he was sensing in Lantash's brain wasn't from the concussion; it was different, separate, from the concussion's damage. It was from the ribbon device; Jacob would swear to it. If he had to guess, he'd say that there had been no trip to the sarcophagus, after the last round of torture. And, Lantash had tried to protect Martouf as much as he could, Jacob and Selmak agreed on that. That was just the way that it was. The symbiote withstood, as much as possible, and kept it away from the host as long as possible, without dying from it. Unfortunately, repeated exposure, without recourse to the sarcophagus to heal the tissue, or time to recover naturally, could cause a condition known as _Amek'tel kek'ma'tel_, a type of brain fever. If that was what was happening, he would know soon, probably within the next hour or so.

As his thoughts followed one another through his mind, and time slowly passed, the man in the bed began to move his head back and forth slightly on the pillow. Jacob grimaced. Yep, here it came, right on time. The next several hours would tell whether the blended pair on the bed would make it…or not.

If they died, Jacob knew he had to get them off the base before Sam returned. Thank the universe, she and Daniel were off world right now, and not expected back until tomorrow. He wasn't going to open old wounds by having another dead Martouf and Lantash here. It would be bad enough for her, just hearing about it; she didn't need to see it, too.

Everyone thought that she'd gotten over having to kill them. Jacob knew better. In fact, he wasn't sure his daughter would ever get over, not just being the one that killed them, but them being killed at all. Jacob was pretty darn sure that his daughter had loved this man. Well, this man from this reality. What having this man from this other reality here would do to her, he wasn't sure. He hoped it might, if this Martouf and Lantash were as their own had been, give her back the light in her eyes, and maybe allow her to find some love and happiness. Only time would tell that, though.

Reaching out and grabbing Jacob's arm in a surprisingly strong grasp, Lantash said, "Selmak, we must hurry. If we are to complete our mission before Apophis becomes aware of what is there, we must get there first. It is our only hope," he muttered.

"We will, Lantash, but first you must rest. The mission is not worth your life. You must rest so you will be well enough to join in the mission and help us with it." Selmak said, trying to use the advantage of Lantash believing he was 'his' Selmak enough to calm him.

"Where is Malek? He should be here by now. If we do not leave soon, there is a great danger that they will find and catch us. You know, as well as I, that the odds are not in our favor, as it is. The chances of success are very slim. We will fail our Queen yet again."

"She will know that we did our best, Lantash. Malek will be here soon, I am sure. However, if you do not rest, I will stop the mission altogether. You must be strong enough to go on this mission, or we will not go at all."

Lantash nodded, and then sighed deeply, seeming to settle into a light sleep. Jacob motioned to one of the nurses who were close by, and said to her as she reached him, "Would you get a message to Malek that I believe he is needed here, please?"

"Yes, I'll go find him now."

'Thanks."

Watching Lantash and Martouf, he saw a scowl mar his features as he said, "There are more guards than we were led to believe. How are we to overcome that many Jaffa and get through the Chaappa'ai?"

"I don't know, Lantash, but we'll think of something. Try not to worry about it for now. Leave it to me. I'll figure something out, I promise you." Lantash became quiet once again, obviously trusting his friend's abilities. It was only a short reprieve, though, as he soon became agitated again.

"Egeria. Egeria, my Queen, I am sorry. I have failed you once again. This time, I have failed you for the last time. I would complete the mission if I could, but I am only one, and eventually Apophis will go there." His muttering became incoherent, at times interspersed with bursts of speech where Jacob could once again make out what he was saying, "All is lost. I am the last of us; I am the last Tok'Ra. I will not allow them to take me. That much I can do for you, my Queen. Never will they learn of the secret from me, for I will be dead and unable to tell them anything. I am sorry. I am sorry. However, they learned nothing, nothing. Perhaps he will never know, never find out; that is all I can hope. What can I do? Nothing. Nothing. I have failed. I am sorry."

Jacob greeted Malek quietly, saying, "_Amek'tel kek'ma'tel_. I'm not sure how bad, yet, but he's reliving the time before the last mission, and the time that the three of them were captives of Apophis, unless I have something wrong, and I don't think that I do."

"Malek? Malek? You did not tell them? You did not divulge our mission." Lantash grabbed Malek's arm, but not harshly. "It is better that the truth dies with us, than that it ever becomes known to Apophis. No, of course you did not. None of us would, no matter what they do to us. Nevertheless, it is hard, I know. You have been in the sarcophagus again."

He began to thrash in the bed and mumble so incoherently that they could not make out what he was saying. As they held him down, waiting for it to pass, Janet came in and asked, "What is it, Jacob? Do you know what's wrong? Do I need to give him a sedative?"

Shaking his head, Jacob straightened as Lantash quieted, only murmuring softly now. "It's called_ Amek'tel kek'ma'tel_. It's a brain fever brought on by repeated exposure to the ribbon device, without recourse to either a recovery period or use of the sarcophagus to heal the damaged brain tissue. I would guess that the torture consisted of a lot of exposure to it, as well as all the other little tortures with which you're familiar. And possibly some you aren't. At any rate, I'll be using the healing device on him. A sedative probably wouldn't help, and might actually hurt. We'll do what we can for him and hope it passes."

"And if it doesn't?" Janet asked, afraid she already knew the answer.

"Then he dies. If it gets to the point that we can tell for sure that the healing device isn't helping, then we'll try the sedative route, Janet. At that point, it won't matter, if it makes it worse. Who knows? We might find something that actually worked to mitigate the symptoms. We could probably use a basin and some cloths with cold water and some ice to keep it cold."

"Of course. Do you want one of the nurses to bathe him to bring the fever down?"

"No, it's not that high, and while we call it brain fever, it's not a fever in the sense you're thinking of. His body temperature may raise some, but it won't go up terribly high. However, a cold cloth or ice pack on his forehead and the back of his neck may bring some relief. It's been known to help, but the truth is that the healing device and time are the only things that we know of that work for sure. And luckily, it either gets much worse quickly and," his voice trailed off, as he looked at Martouf, then he continued, "Or it reaches a peak and then begins to get better. Either way, it both comes on and leaves quickly."

Nodding her understanding, she said, "I'll get you that basin, some cloths, some ice packs and ice and I'll see to it that one of the nurses is here to help you. No, Jacob," she held up her hand, as she saw the beginnings of his refusal. "We aren't busy today, so it won't be a problem for us, and I think you and Malek will both be busy trying to talk to him and using the healing device. The nurse can make sure the ice packs or cloths are as they should be. All right?"

"All right. And Janet, thank you. We appreciate it."

As she nodded and left to get one of the nurses to help them out, she heard Lantash saying hoarsely, "Selmak, Selmak, where is Malek? Where is he? We must go. We must leave this place soon. I hope he has not been captured again." Two blue-gray eyes stared at Jacob, but they did not truly see him. He was lost in the events leading up to and including the failed mission. They couldn't tell for sure if he heard them assure him that Malek was there, but he quieted for a moment, before slipping into the next memory.

Suddenly, he said, "We must leave here before they find out that the slave girl, Ria'ta, helped us. If we are found here, in her apartments, she will be tortured and killed."

"I know, Lantash, and we will go soon."

"As soon as it is dark. We must leave, as soon as it is dark. We cannot let her risk herself for us like this. She is misguided to honor us so, but I am thankful that she does. She has helped us immensely. The zat'nik'tels alone are worth a great deal. The shelter, too, but still, we must leave soon."

"We will leave before she is found out and gets into trouble, Lantash, I promise you," Selmak assured him softly, guessing at what was the correct thing to say.

"Yes, yes, we must go, and then perhaps we can plan a new strategy to complete our mission. We must not fail Egeria. We must not allow the System Lords to win and rule over all the known worlds. We must not. My Queen, my Queen, I am sorry, I have failed you, I have failed you."

Selmak shook his head, and turned to Malek. "You must talk to him. I'm going to use the healing device on his wounds again, especially the head wound. I'm going to try to work on lessening the swelling and see if it helps."

Malek nodded, his face grim, as he began to talk to Lantash, trying to soothe him. The nurse Janet sent to them was busy trying to keep the ice pack behind his neck and the cloth on his forehead, as he tossed his head from side to side. As time wore on, she removed the ice pack, at intervals, to allow the skin to warm and at those times, she used it on his forehead, for short periods. Malek and Selmak took turns using the healing device, talking to, and when necessary, restraining Lantash and Martouf, for eventually, Martouf also came forward and talked to them about the mission, how important it was, and how they had failed their Queen. They had lost their last hope and everything, all was lost.

Many long hours later, an exhausted Jacob and Selmak sat beside the bed and rested their forehead on their arms. Malek was in a similar position, across from them. They had told the nurse to take a break, too. Martouf and Lantash had been quiet for almost an hour. There had been no muttering, no murmuring. There was no longer the deep, anguished heartbreak over a mission gone very wrong. No longer were there pleas to Egeria to forgive them, and him. No more bitterness and tears at their failure.

In fact, he looked as if he was sleeping. Jacob certainly hoped so. He had used the healing device until he was exhausted, and Malek was in only slightly better shape. Both had expended great amounts of energy to heal the wounds and the swelling of the brain tissue. They had accomplished much in the last several hours, though.

The staff blast was healed, the stab wound gone, the broken ribs, as good as new. The cuts, bruises, and abrasions had slowly faded, and if not quite gone, they soon would be. The head injury, from what they could sense, was lessening. At least, they hoped it was not wishful thinking on their parts, and Selmak and Malek were pretty sure that it wasn't.

So now, they rested on either side of this man, who they knew, and yet, did not know, and waited for him to wake up and tell them who he really was. They had an idea, from his ravings during the delirium that he was their own Martouf and Lantash somehow brought back to them. Their personalities appeared so similar to the one they had known that, had they not known differently, they would swear they were their own Martouf and Lantash returned to them. And delirium was a great equalizer. What they ranted about were the things important to them…their Queen's vision of how the Goa'uld should be, their friends, their mission, their deep, intense heartbreak, at the deaths of his friends, the bitterness of their, and his, failure, the desolation of losing everything and everyone important to him. All those things could have been Lantash and Martouf, and were, in fact, Lantash and Martouf. If they were not their own, then they were so close to being them, as to be undetectable.

"I no longer feel as if the top of my head is about to explode. The pain is gone from my shoulder, my side, and my ribs. Therefore, I must conclude that you are not, in fact, hallucinations brought on by Martouf's injuries, or mine," Lantash's voice spoke quietly from the head of the bed.

Selmak raised his head and smiled. "No, we are not hallucinations. Nor are you, although, at first we thought you must be. It seems odd to think that there are an infinite number of us running around in an infinite number of realities, but so they tell us, and you are proof that there is at least one where the two were very close to being exactly the same."

"Well, physically, according to my records, he is, for all intents and purposes, Martouf and Lantash, right down to the crescent-moon shaped birth mark on the upper inside of his left thigh," Dr. Janet Fraiser said, as she entered the room. She was relieved to see him looking better. Stepping to the bed, she nodded a dismissal to the nurse, who had taken up a position at the back of the room, a discreet but functional distance away. Then walking towards the head of the bed, she disconnected the IV, before Lantash could start to complain about it. His dehydration was not severe, and they already pushed a couple of bags of fluids through him. He would be wanting up sometime soon, and she wasn't going to argue with him. If Lantash was satisfied with his and Martouf's condition, then that was good enough for her. Lantash knew if they were all right or not. She had learned that much from their own Lantash and Martouf.

"Thank you, Dr. Fraiser," Lantash said mildly, as she finished disconnecting him from the tubing. "Your help was much appreciated, but, as you have already determined, we are quite well now and are no longer in need of the extra fluids. Martouf wishes me to express his sincere appreciation to you, also."

"You are both quite welcome. I had a feeling that was going to be what you were going to tell me, Lantash. As for your other injuries, I believe that Selmak and Malek can be thanked for taking care of them."

"Yes, and we do thank them. It was very kind of them to both rescue and heal us, and it is very much appreciated," he said, with a soft smile for her. At least, he attempted to smile, but it did not quite reach his eyes, for a deep sadness haunted them. Selmak and Malek were with him, and yet they were not. It was an odd feeling. He was sure it was just as odd for them to be sitting with a man who, to them, at least, was dead.

She smiled back at them, then turned to Jacob, saying; "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask, Jacob. I'm leaving now, but I'll be back in the morning, and I've given instructions to Dr. Nelson, as well as the nurses on duty, to get for which you might ask. So ask, if you need something."

"Thanks for everything, Janet. We appreciate it," Jacob replied. "You've already been an immense help. Tell Nurse Jamison that we thank her, as well, please. She left before we had a chance to tell her."

"You're very welcome, thank you, I will…and Goodnight," she said, before giving each of them a nod and a smile, turning, and leaving them alone.

"What are the plans for me now, Selmak, Malek?" Lantash inquired quietly.

"For tonight, all you need to do is rest. Although your physical wounds have been healed, both of you are still exhausted. Tomorrow we'll have a debriefing, and probably go over what's happened in your reality to see if any of it could pertain to ours. We've found, in the past, that we can sometimes use important information that comes out while discussing what had and was happening in the other reality. Of course, you may have had the same experience."

Lantash shook his head. "We were not aware of the existence of this mirror of which you speak. Alternate realities were no more than theory."

Selmak nodded his head, "It was only theory for us, too, until Daniel accidentally went through one and back. He brought back vital intel that saved this planet. Another time, a couple of people came through needing help, and the SGC were able to help them, but the Goa'uld in their reality didn't rule the entire galaxy, they were just working on it."

Lantash smiled wryly, "I understand what you are trying to tell me, Selmak. I know there is nothing you can do to help my worlds. I realize they are lost for all time, or until something else comes along and wipes the Goa'uld out. Either way, it will make no difference to me, for I will be here, and here is what will be real to me. It must be this way. If I am to be able to function in this reality, and become a viable part of this reality, then it must be my reality. I do understand that, and so does Martouf," he said firmly.

Selmak nodded and reached up to lower the light, but stopped as something else occurred to him. "Ah, before I forget, just so you know, the Teal'c in this reality is a member of the SGC. He realized that Apophis was not a god, and when the opportunity arose for him to leave him and work to free his people, he took it and came here to become a member of this world, and a thorn in Apophis's side, I might add."

"So that was not a hallucination? Teal'c was actually here? I did see him?" Lantash asked, his voice carrying his shock.

"Yes, he is and you did. I realize it will be difficult for you to put the past behind you and accept him as a comrade and friend, but I assure you that the Teal'c that you will meet here is nothing like the one that tortured you, Selmak, and Malek. I'm not saying he never did that type of thing. I'm sure you are as aware as I am, that in the years when he was First Prime of Apophis, Teal'c did many things as bad or worse, than what he did to you. All I am saying is that the Teal'c that has grown and evolved here, in this reality, is a far cry from the one you knew."

"I understand intellectually what you are telling me, Selmak. Whether I will be able to control and influence my emotional response or not is yet to be seen; however, I assure you that I will not attack or insult the Teal'c here, regardless. I will do my best to attempt to remember that he is not as he was. And it will help that he is not an exact replica in this reality. In my reality, he had both long braided hair and a braided beard, as you saw in the mirror. So while they are quite similar, there are physical differences that will help me to be discerning."

"That's true, there is, and that is all we can ask of you, for now. In time, I hope the memories fade, and you can accept that he is not your enemy. I believe that you will begin to perceive the differences in personality, as well as appearance, as soon as you meet him, and I think it will make a big difference to you, but only time and the meeting will tell that."

"For now, you need more rest, and I'm sleeping in the bed right next to you. I want to be sure that there isn't a recurrence of _Amek'tel kek'ma'tel_, and if you have nightmares, I want to be nearby to wake you, before you raise the entire base. Are you staying in here tonight, Malek?" He turned to ask the other man.

"Not unless you need me to. I have been given a room for the night."

"Okay. Stop by the mess in the morning and pick us up something to eat. No doubt, they'll bring Martouf and Lantash something, but who knows if it will be edible by the time he gets it. We'll have breakfast together, and then I imagine if they are feeling up to it, we'll have a meeting to see what happened in their reality and see how far apart our realities really are."

"All right. I see no reason I could not manage that. I will see you both in the morning. Should you need me before then, do not hesitate to have me called. Good night, Lantash, Martouf, Selmak, Jacob," Malek smiled slightly at them and headed for the door. He had agreed to meet a certain blonde Lieutenant this evening in the recreation area, if Selmak did not need him. He was not needed, so he would go in search of her. Perhaps it would be an interesting evening, after all.

"Malek?"

Almost out the door, Malek turned back towards Jacob. "Listen, say hi to Lieutenant Donovan for Sel and I, will you? And remember to let Dev talk to her for part of the time. It'll make you even more fascinating." Jacob laughed, as he watched the flush rise slightly in Devlin's cheeks before Malek could stop it.

"Thank you, Jacob, I will," Malek said, with as much equanimity as he could muster, before stalking from the room, his affronted dignity a mantle around him.

Hearing a chuckle from the bed, Jacob turned towards it, and realized that Martouf had control. There was real amusement on his face, and he said, "Your Malek is as dignified as mine was and as easy to tease about his escapades. He always blamed them on Devlin, but we always knew that behind the dignified facade, Malek had a wild streak, especially when it came to women. After all, not every host he had could have been the same, when it came to women, as he would try to have us believe."

"Exactly. Moreover, the women appear to find him very appealing, I sometimes think, because he does come across as so coolly dignified and reserved. They want to see if they can cause him to become flustered, raise his temperature, and perhaps lose the coolness that they see. And, of course…" Jacob left his sentence unfinished, as what Martouf had said sank in.

Martouf smiled and finished for him, "And, of course, from the stories Devlin has told us, Malek can, upon occasion, be brought to lose the cool reserve that he treats most people with, and become, ah, somewhat passionate."

Jacob grinned back at him, "Sounds like we are talking about the same two guys to me, Martouf."

"Yes. Yes, it does, Jacob," Martouf responded solemnly, as what they had just said came to him, as well. The same two guys. Would it be that simple? Were they really, even though from different realities, the same men? The same beings? So far, it looked that way, and if so, he would be doubly thankful to whatever fate had sent him here to them.

Watching him closely and knowing that he, too, had just realized how similar they appeared to be, Jacob nonetheless changed the subject, not wanting to delve too deeply yet. He would let Martouf bring it up, if he wished, as his was the more recent loss. "How are you really feeling, Martouf? I know Lantash wanted the IV out, but are you really feeling okay?" Jacob asked, now that Malek had left the room and they were alone.

Martouf smiled slightly, as he said, "Compared to how I was feeling when you found me, I feel very well indeed. I am going to get up shortly and walk around to see if I am as steady on my feet as I feel I will be. I feel sure you have already guessed that Lantash asked me to take over, for a while, and that he is resting. He did his very best to protect me. I have been trying to get him to rest, since we woke up, and finally he has agreed to do so."

"Yeah, I kinda figured he was, and I'm glad because he needs the rest. As far as your 'walk', the facilities are over there," Jacob grinned at him, and was rewarded with another short laugh, as Martouf realized that Jacob had once again seemed to know him well enough to read his thoughts.

"I thank you, Jacob," he began and then sobered as he looked closely at the man who was getting comfortable on the next bed. "You are very like him, you know. It is amazing how much alike you are; it could be our Jacob and Selmak lying there, just as our Malek and Dev just walked out the door."

Jacob nodded, "Yeah, we had the same feeling, while you were out of it. Your entire focus was exactly as our Martouf and Lantash's would have been. It's a little disconcerting, but at the same time, it's a good feeling. As if a part of us that was missing is back in place. Odd, I know, but there you have it."

Nodding his head in agreement, and then wincing at the pain that still occasionally made itself known, Martouf sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Grimacing at the flimsy gown, he looked up, preparing to ask Jacob if there was anything else he could have to wear, only to find him already up and rummaging in a cabinet close by. He came back with a pair of scrubs.

"Here, you'll be more comfortable in this. I'm gonna go see about getting you some BDU's for tomorrow. Be right back." After arranging for Martouf to have privacy getting into the 'facilities' where he could change, he went to the door and asked one of the nurses to get some BDU'S and anything else Martouf would need for tomorrow. They should have his sizes on record from before. Turning back, he straightened the bed, all the while alert for any signs or sounds that would indicate that Martouf was having trouble. He was relieved to see him stick his head out the door.

"Jacob, there is a small shower in here. If you do not mind, I believe I will take a quick one. Even though I am tired, it sounds very good to me right now, and everything I would need seems to be in here."

"Go ahead, Martouf. I'll be out here, if you should need me," Jacob answered. He then went in search of a nurse to get clean sheets. Martouf had been in pretty bad shape, when they found him and brought him in, and now that he was up and around, they could easily put clean sheets on the bed for him to come back to. While listening to be sure he was not having problems, they changed the bed sheets and blankets. As the nurse left with the soiled linens, Jacob heard the door open, and Martouf emerged looking tired, but clean, and very much more comfortable in the scrub pants and top.

He said as he approached the bed, "Thank you for thinking of that also, Jacob. The clean sheets will be a nice change. Our more recent accommodations did not boast of such things." Sighing slightly, he gave a brief, small smile and continued, "I believe you are correct and sleep might benefit both Lantash and myself. Sleep uninterrupted by the need to keep watch or move to a new location is most welcome."

"Perhaps going to sleep knowing you are safe and well will allow you to rest all night, something I'd guess you haven't been able to do for quite some time."

Having stretched back out in the bed and covered himself, Martouf now murmured sleepily, "I believe that is true, Jacob. I do not believe I will have trouble either going to sleep or staying there tonight."

"Good. We'll see you in the morning. Good-night."

But they were already asleep.

* * *

Malek brought fresh doughnuts and pastries, coffee and hot chocolate to them in the morning. "I got your favorite ones Martouf, glazed yeast with chocolate and cinnamon twists."

Martouf smiled, "I haven't had those in a very long time. Not since Earth fell to Apophis. Thank you for remembering that I favored them."

Suddenly becoming aware of the intensity of the silence, he looked up at the two men staring at him. "What is it?" he asked quietly.

Jacob and Malek both shook their heads, as they assimilated yet again, how much alike they were to their own Martouf and Lantash. "I never even thought about the fact that you might not like those pastries. Our Martouf loved them and evidently, so do you," Malek said.

Then realizing what else he had said, Jacob and Malek said together, "Earth fell? Are you telling us that in your reality, Earth fell to Apophis?"

"Yes. Yes, I am." Rubbing his forehead, he continued, "It has been three years ago now, give or take. I cannot be sure, but that sounds correct."

Shaking himself out of his daze, Jacob said with a slight smile, "Well, there's no point of going over it now. No doubt, General Hammond will want to hear all of this, too, and there's no point in making you repeat it more often than absolutely necessary. It's going to be bad enough the way it is. Let's have our breakfast. After that, you can get dressed. I got some BDU's for you last night; they're in the locker over there."

Throwing off the heaviness of his thoughts, Jacob smiled at Martouf, "Really, there's no point in dwelling on something like that. For now, let's just try to relax and enjoy our breakfast. Speaking of which," he added, turning to Malek, "How did you manage to get fresh doughnuts on base?"

"Ah, well, perhaps someone brought some in this morning," Malek answered, refusing to look at either of them.

"You are lying to us, Malek," Martouf said. "Give up and tell the truth. Where did you get them?"

Seeing the change come over him, his friends knew at once that Devlin had taken control, "A gentleman does not boast of his conquests, and Malek is always a gentleman. I, on the other hand, according to Anise, am somewhat rude and crude, so I will tell you. Lieutenant Donavan asked if there was anything special I would enjoy, and I wanted some of those twists myself, so," he shrugged, "There you have it. They were a gift from a, ah, friend. Ow! Malek, stop that, if I want a thump on the head, I will walk into a door or fall down a mountain. _Stars of Fire_, it is like I have my own private censor."

As the three laughed at Devlin and Malek's domestic squabble, Martouf said, as soon as he was able, "I do thank both of you. I appreciate everything you are doing for me. That includes not only these doughnuts, but also the laughter shared," he sighed slightly, but shook off the melancholy feeling, "It has been such a long time, since we were safe enough to simply sit and enjoy each other's company," he said, and it was obvious that he was indeed enjoying both them and the doughnuts. They watched as he held an internal conversation and then grinned again.

"So you never managed to cure Lantash of griping about the sugar and caffeine, either?" Malek asked, after taking control back from Devlin.

"No, he is still griping about the extra…" Martouf stopped and looked at them. "We really are the same, are we not? I mean, not just our looks, but in almost every way. The same likes and dislikes, the same jokes, the same feeling of knowing one another so well that we can tell what the others are thinking. It is very…odd," he finally finished his sentence.

"Odd, but comforting in a way," Malek said, quietly.

Thinking this over, Martouf said, "Yes. Yes, it is. Lantash and I both agree with you." He sighed, this time with pleasure, before he said, "I think I could eat a box of those by myself."

"The last time you did that it was all Lantash could do to keep you from getting sick," Malek responded, without thinking.

"I know," Martouf replied, "He was so aggravated with me that he almost let me be ill, but he hates it when I am sick to my stomach. He says the heaving gives him a headache."

"I know," Malek said softly, as he gave him a gentle smile, an expression not often seen on the somewhat stern visage with which the symbiote often faced the world.

"Yeah, me too," Jacob agreed as he, too, sent him a kind look and smile.

Martouf stared at them, for a moment, and then said, "Yes, of course you do. I am glad, actually. It just seems right somehow that you both know me so well, and that I appear to know you so well."

"Yup. However, if you're done stuffing yourself, you need to get dressed. I hope I got a big enough size," Jacob teased him, as Martouf left the bed to do as he suggested.

Martouf grinned at Jacob, refusing to rise to the bait, and soon they were ready to head to the briefing room. Martouf was not looking forward to this, but he felt that it was important that he share what he knew with these Tau'ri. Perhaps he could stop the catastrophe that had befallen their other selves in his reality. Nodding to Jacob, he said softly, "I am ready. Let us get this meeting over.

* * *

General Hammond stood and greeted him, as he walked into the briefing room. Familiar, yet not exactly, as Martouf had remembered the one in his reality, the General was, however, as polite and quietly authoritative, as the one he had known.

"Martouf, Lantash, welcome to Earth. Jacob has explained what he believes happened. We know this will not be an easy thing for you to discuss, but we feel we should delve into your reality to see if there are things we need be concerned with in ours. It has proved to be helpful to us in the past, when information came to us through the mirror," the general said, as he shook hands with him and indicated a chair next to his. The other Tok'Ra seated themselves close to him on the side of the table near the door. Teal'c and Jack O'Neill were ranged across the table, and Anise and Jorlin at the end, facing the door.

Teal'c spoke up, his voice calm and firm, "If my being here is uncomfortable for you or Lantash, Martouf, I will leave. I understand from what General Carter explained to us, that in your reality, I was still allied with Apophis. I am sorry to hear that, as it means my people are still slaves to the false gods."

"Yes, I am afraid they are, Teal'c. I am sorry. As for being uncomfortable with you here, it is true, I may have some difficulties; however, you neither look, sound, nor act like the Teal'c in my reality. Which, I admit, I find odd actually, because both Jacob and Selmak, and Malek and Devlin, could be the ones from my own reality. Had I not killed them myself, I would swear they came through the mirror with me."

"Yeah, well, they didn't, they belong here," Jack broke into the conversation abruptly, his voice almost challenging, insinuating that Martouf and Lantash, therefore, did not belong there.

"Very true, Colonel O'Neill, they do. However, if I understand correctly, I may very well be making my home here, also," Martouf replied, neither angry nor subservient. O'Neill had never cowed him in his reality. He would not be intimidated in this one either.

Turning back to General Hammond, obviously dismissing the Colonel as unimportant, he said in a firm voice, "What would you like to know, General? I will tell you what I can, what I know. I do believe though, that while most of the people I have met seem to be very similar, the events apparently are not, otherwise you would not be here."

"What do you mean, son?" Hammond asked quietly, knowing that this would be a very trying ordeal for the man before him. To relive every bad thing that had happened to his worlds would definitely be stressful. Martouf and Lantash's entire world had apparently almost ended, scrambled, and then been put back together in a very short space of time, and he wanted to make this meeting as painless, as he could for the two of them. He would be as patient as needed, and if Colonel O'Neill didn't back off, he'd kick him out of the meeting. This Martouf might have important Intel, and he wasn't going to let Jack's dislike of the Tok'Ra ruin this for them.

Lantash came forward to speak to the General, "From what little time I have had with Selmak and Malek, I believe that I am seeing very different happenings. Obviously, the Tok'Ra are not extinct in this reality, whereas in mine, I am the last survivor of my race. Apophis did not destroy the Tau'ri in your world. In mine, he did. You still have a viable alliance. In my reality, the alliance fell through after…" Lantash stopped speaking and his head lowered as Martouf came forward.

"I apologize for Lantash. It is a very hard subject for us to discuss. The consequences were far-reaching, as I am sure you will understand. Had we not…" Once again, he stopped speaking, as the door opened.

"I'm sure we can figure it out later, Daniel," Major Samantha Carter was saying quietly, as she walked into the room. The sudden, intense silence caused her to look around to see what had caused it. She found herself looking into the most beautiful blue-gray eyes she had ever seen.

"Martouf? Lantash?" she whispered, as she stared at them.

Lantash took control and surged to his feet. "Samantha. Dear Universe. My Samantha." He reached her in two steps and stood staring at her, as if he could not believe what he was seeing.

Sam reached out slowly and placed her hands on his chest. Feeling his heart beating beneath her fingertips, the warmth seeping through the shirt, she grasped it in a fierce grip. "Lantash, oh, God, Lantash, Martouf. I…" her voice broke on a sob, her voice suspended.

She got no farther anyway, as Lantash pulled her into his arms and lifted her high against his chest. As her arms wound around his neck, the fingers of one hand wove into his hair to pull him closer yet; his kiss became deep and thorough as he drank in, the sweetness of her kiss, as a man dying of thirst slakes his thirst with water. As they became lost in the taste, scent, and feel of one another, the wonder grew and the room and everyone in it disappeared.

Neither of them heard the enraged roar from Colonel O'Neill.

TBC


	3. Divergences 3 WDL

**_Chapter Three Summary:_**_ After a confrontation with O'Neill, things finally calm down, and Martouf and Lantash begin to talk about their reality. It turns out that while many of the people are similar, the events were not. Only a very few were the same and in fact, one certain bit of information is very important to the Tok'Ra. Egeria is alive and well in their reality, although, it is possible that Apophis will soon find her. Sam makes it clear to everyone that she has no intention of backing away from Martouf and Lantash this time. _

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host Communication_

* * *

**_Where Destiny Leads_**

**_Chapter Three_**

**_Divergences_**

* * *

Colonel Jack O'Neill leaped to his feet and was around the conference table with his hand on Martouf's shoulder before anyone realized what was happening. Catching Martouf off-guard he jerked him away from Sam and drew back his fist, biting out in a voice full of contempt, "You sneaky, slimy, snake, take your hands off Carter, and get away from her, before I kill you."

Both participants in the embrace looked at him in a dazed and astonished fashion, still under the influence of the emotions set into play by seeing and touching one another after so long a time. Daniel stepped in front of Martouf saying, "Now Jack, calm…" but that was as far as he got, as Jack's punch, which had been aimed at Martouf, caught him in the face, sending him staggering backwards into Sam, who was thrown into Martouf's arms once again.

Setting her firmly on her feet, and to one side, their eyes flared as Lantash came forward to take back the control he had just handed off to Martouf. Watching as the man who had been a close friend to him in his own reality, careened off Sam and crumpled to the floor, obviously either stunned or unconscious, Lantash's tentative hold on his already frayed emotions gave way. With a snarl that resembled nothing so much as an enraged jungle cat, he leaped at O'Neill, grabbed him by the shirt, and throwing him into the wall, held him there, his face smashed into the wall and an arm in position to be broken at the least struggle. Both men were breathing raggedly, but Lantash was doing so in pure rage.

"How dare you try to separate me from my mate and injure my friend?" He hissed. "Furthermore, I may not be completely familiar with how things are done in your reality, but I do not believe that type of insult is acceptable. You will never again call me a snake, nor," he continued, his voice deadly in its quiet intensity, "will you hurt my friends. And _never_ attempt to come between my mate and I, at any time, for I swear that _I_ will kill _you_." With the last word, he effortlessly threw O'Neill across the room and into the wall opposite them.

Dismissing him with a look of utter contempt, Lantash turned and looked first at Samantha, to ascertain if she was indeed all right, and then he knelt by Daniel, and felt for a pulse. The remainder of the statues in the room finally moved, and Teal'c, who had been watching O'Neill, stepped in front of him, as he again headed toward Lantash.

"That would be most unwise, O'Neill. One foolish action in a day is enough," he told him stoically.

O'Neill looked at the big Jaffa in surprise. "Are you saying you're on _his_ side?" Jack asked him.

"I am saying, O'Neill, that Major Carter was not in distress. She was not asking for help, nor was she indicating in any manner that she did not wish to be exactly where she was," Teal'c pointed out calmly, looking O'Neill in the eyes.

Shaking himself, Jack sighed and nodded. Realizing he could hear Daniel's voice answering Lantash's, he grimaced. How dare that, that, _snake,_ call Daniel _his_ friend, and accuse Jack of injuring him? He wouldn't have been hurt if the _snake_ hadn't grabbed Carter. It was his fault Daniel was hurt, not his. And the _snake_ didn't even know their Daniel, he had no right to talk about him that way, Jack fumed. He didn't know Carter either, but that hadn't stopped him from mauling her. O'Neill shook himself again, and stalked to the other end of the room to try to calm himself.

He had always disliked and distrusted the Tok'Ra. And his feelings had only gotten worse with time. However, there had been deadly intent in Lantash's eyes. He had meant every word. He would kill him before he would allow Jack to hurt Daniel or come between him and Carter. Loyalty was not a trait he attributed to the Tok'Ra, unless it was to their own agenda, and they certainly didn't know the word loyalty in the way he used it. This Lantash, however, had just given a very good imitation of someone who was extremely loyal to his friends. Well, he'd wait and see how long that lasted. Probably until his own agenda was met, whatever that might be.

Neither was he shy about making his feelings known, but the other one had been just as vocal, when he felt the need to be. Well, none of it mattered; he'd definitely be keeping an eye on him. He didn't trust him, anymore than he trusted any of the rest of the snake-heads, less in fact, because this guy didn't even belong here, and as far as he could tell, he certainly wouldn't be an asset to the Tok'Ra here. From what he'd heard, the guy had failed in about everything he'd done. Yeah, Jack thought smugly. He must be a real loser. The last Tok'Ra alive. They should be so lucky in this reality.

He watched as General Hammond crouched down next to Daniel. He could hear Daniel protesting, and he watched as Anise said something to Jacob. Watching closely, but keeping his distance, he saw Jacob take the healing device out of his pouch and give it to Anise.

"Please lie still, Dr. Jackson, and this will only take a moment to heal you. The damage does not appear to be extremely extensive. Your nose is not broken, nor is your jaw. This will prevent your eye and cheek, which looks to have taken most of the blow, from swelling or discoloring. A little tenderness may remain, but that is all," Freya had come forward and spoke softly to Daniel, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder, as she talked to him. She gave him a warm smile before Anise came forward to work the healing device, as she was more adept in its use than her host was.

In a completely unconscious gesture, Sam put her hand on Lantash's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze of encouragement, and his hand came up to cover hers and squeeze back in a silent communication. He sighed a little. He had lost control. Twice. First when he had seen Samantha, and second when O'Neill had attacked him. A sure sign he was a great deal more tense than he realized. He and O'Neill had never been friends, but they had respected one another in his reality. Evidently, that was not true in this one.

Finally, they were coming up against more people who were different. Anise and Daniel were not the same as his had been, for in his reality, Daniel had been Tok'Ra, as had his Samantha. Anise had been Daniel's mate. Daniel had done much to soften Anise's demeanor and curtail Freya's horrible dress sense. Thus, a comrade that he had often been at loggerheads with in the past had come to be one of his dearest friends. That, too, did not seem to be true in this time and space. While Anise did not appear overtly antagonistic to him, neither was she offering unequivocal friendship.

Suddenly, a new thought made its way into his mind. Why had Jacob lied to him about his mate being alive? Was she O'Neill's mate in this world? She did not act as if she was. He had felt the anger in her at his actions. There had definitely been resentment there. And she was touching him in a manner that only a mate would use. She was his mate, he thought fiercely, and there was no one and nothing that would keep him from her now that he had found her again.

However, there were questions that needed asked and answered. Looking down at his, well, the man who used to be his friend, and seeing that he seemed to be recovering well and quickly, he stood and turned toward Samantha. Leaning down, he kissed her lightly, a swift kiss that she returned, not reacting as if it was unpleasant or unacceptable, in any way. Taking her hand in his, he turned to Jacob who was now in a low-voiced conversation with General Hammond.

Noticing his movement, they turned toward him, and he lost no time in asking, his voice harsh with suppressed emotion, "Why did you lie to me, Jacob? Why did you tell me Samantha was dead in this reality?"

"I didn't lie to you, Lantash. You asked if your mate was alive, and I told you no, she wasn't. In our reality your mate was Jolinar and Rosha, not Sam," Jacob said quietly. "I'm sorry, but you didn't name your mate and I assumed instead of asking. I guess things were a little different in your reality."

The calmness of his answer seemed to soothe Lantash, as he answered more quietly, "Yes, evidently they were and I apologize. None of us were thinking clearly, no doubt because of the shock of the situation. I should have asked for her by name, but like you, it never occurred to me that the realities were that different. I was mated to Rosha and Jolinar, yes, but that was several years ago. When Samantha became host to Jolinar, we fell in love and became mates," Lantash replied.

"You mean Jolinar forced Carter to care for you, the way she forced her to become her host," Jack O'Neill said harshly, from the other side of the room.

Lantash frowned. "Jolinar did not force Samantha to become her host. Samantha volunteered." Lantash smiled wryly, at the actuality of the exact opposite. "In fact, if anything, Rosha and Samantha forced Jolinar to become Samantha's symbiote."

"Yeah, well, not in this reality, she didn't. She took her by force and then tried to shoot up the gate room and us."

"Colonel, that's enough," Sam said sharply. Turning to Lantash, she said quietly, "It was an emergency situation, Lantash. She had no choice."

"There is always the choice of death, Samantha. One does not take a host by force for any reason. It is the highest law of the Tok'Ra, the one law Egeria impressed upon our consciousness most stringently. Death is preferable to us, and we will give our life that the host might live, if necessary," Lantash replied firmly, his voice brooking no opposition. In his mind it simply was not done. Ever.

"I came to understand and accept what happened between Jolinar and I a long time ago. I'm no longer angry with her. She died saving me, so, in a way, in the end, she did choose death. She left the information with me so that we could contact and meet the Tok'Ra. It's how we met in this reality. From what you've said, it was very different in yours. And, while we are on that subject, if you don't mind, I'd like for us to all sit down, and then start at the beginning, before we get into details. I'd like to know what is going on first, please."

Jacob sighed, "I'm sorry, Sam. I should have had Janet catch you and tell you before you came in here. I meant too, but with everything that has happened, I forgot. I'm really sorry, kid, I know it had to be a shock."

"It's okay, Dad. It allowed me to have something I never was privileged to have before," Sam said quietly, as she looked at Lantash and smiled tentatively. He smiled back at her, his smile almost shy, the look in his eyes, anything but.

Still holding onto her hand, he gestured to the conference table. "Please, if you will sit down with us, we will explain what has occurred. I was just about to tell your people the events that have happened in my, or so they have explained to me, reality. We were about to compare the two, to see if there is any information that might help them. I am afraid, from what has been disclosed so far, that while many of the people in our realities are similar, many are not. Nor are our circumstances similar and for that you must be grateful," he finished, his voice full of both sadness and bitterness.

Gently squeezing the hand she still held, she began to walk to the table to take a seat, when O'Neill broke in. "SG-1 is seated on this side of the table, Major."

"I see that, sir," she replied, as she sat down in a chair between Lantash and her father. "However, I prefer to sit by my," she paused for a moment, before finishing, "father."

"That's fine, Major, there is nothing stating you must sit with the rest of your team," General Hammond said quietly, as he sent a very severe look at Colonel O'Neill. It would take very little more for him to put O'Neill out of the meeting. He hoped he wouldn't have to do more. This situation was touchy enough.

Turning toward his old friend, he said, "Jacob, why don't you fill Major Carter in on what happened yesterday. Perhaps by then, Dr. Jackson will be recovered enough to join us and then we can go on with the debriefing. I imagine a lot of questions will be answered during that."

Nodding his agreement, Jacob quickly recounted the events of the previous day. He explained they had gated to this particular planet because Anise and Daniel had discussed it and the interesting artifacts he had seen there. He told her how Anise was using it, as an archaeology trip, as well as a scientific trip, to test some new equipment they had for testing the air for contaminants.

He recounted how they had been checking the other rooms for threats and almost fallen over Martouf and Lantash as they lay, half dead on the floor of a back room. He told her how they had started talking to him and learned that he thought he was the last Tok'Ra alive and that they were hallucinations because they were all dead.

Anise had realized what was happening, found the control to the mirror, and turned it on. They had seen the destruction and Teal'c, as he searched through it, no doubt looking for pieces of Martouf to take back as proof. He told her how badly hurt they had actually been, that he and Malek had spent all afternoon and into the early evening working on both Lantash and Martouf with the healing device, and how relieved they had been when they both woke up, alert and aware.

He continued to tell her how much like their Martouf and Lantash they were finding them to be, "right down," he said, "to their habit of eating cinnamon twists and chocolate iced, glazed donuts, until they were almost unwell." Martouf flushed with embarrassment; Jack glowered from across the table. Sam smiled as her dad talked about the two of them and her eyes shone. She really hoped they were the same, because one so rarely got a true second chance in this life. She wasn't about to pass this one up, or mess it up with doubts and second thoughts.

Turning to Martouf, Sam said, "You were going to destroy yourself, and instead you fell into the mirror." She shook her head. "You were very lucky. The odds of you picking up the control to the mirror instead of the zat, accidentally turning it on, falling through into a hospitable reality, and actually being found by your own people are probably astronomical."

Martouf looked back at her for several moments before saying quietly, "luck?" He shrugged, and then smiled slightly, continuing, "or destiny? Where destiny leads, we must follow, and we have been led here for a reason, a purpose that we do not fully comprehend, yet. Perhaps we never will, but we will always believe that we were brought here by more than mere _luck_. As you pointed out, there were simply too many extraordinary circumstances, for it to be that simple."

Sam smiled warmly back at him and said, "You may be right. Sometimes things do happen for reasons we don't at first perceive, but very often, we eventually figure out what the reasons are. We'll hope to come across the reason for this sooner, rather than later."

"If the odds are so great against this happening, then has anyone considered the idea that it wasn't an accident at all? That, in fact, he was planted in this reality for a purpose we won't like? Has anyone considered that maybe he isn't even Tok'Ra in his reality? Maybe he's really Goa'uld? Maybe we should be thinking a little more carefully before we just open our arms and accept _Martouf and Lantash_ back into them… for all we know he isn't even Marty but someone that's been altered to look like him."

Everyone at the table turned to look at Jack, and he had the grace to flush, saying, "Well, someone should play devil's advocate," he mumbled.

"Very true, Colonel O'Neill. And I would certainly be cautious in your position. You, after all, do not know me, nor I you. For all I know, you are actually working in league with the System Lords and giving them information about the Tok'Ra and will be contacting them to give them information on me and the other Tok'Ra here."

"Well, that makes no sense. Why would I want to give the System Lords in your reality information about the Tok'Ra in mine?"

"I have no idea, Colonel, but it makes as much sense as me giving the System Lords in my reality information about you and your reality."

"I think we can discount either of those possibilities, Colonel, and according to Dr. Fraiser's tests, he is Martouf and Lantash, so that also is not at dispute," General Hammond said.

Nodding to the young man coming around the table to take a seat, he continued, "Dr. Jackson, are you sure you feel well enough to join us now?"

Taking a seat between Teal'c and Anise, he said, "Yes, sir, I feel fine. It was an accident and no permanent damage was done. I'm very interested in the discussion and events, so, please, continue," Daniel assured him quietly.

Acknowledging his response, the general said, "In that case, if you have no other questions about the happenings yesterday, perhaps we should continue into the possible ways our two realities might be similar."

Martouf nodded and then said calmly, "Lantash and I will answer anything you wish to ask. We have no reason to keep anything from you. Please ask whatever you wish to know."

"When did you meet the Tau'ri, Martouf? And how did it happen?" Malek was the first to ask a question. "It could be that the time-lines are completely different from the beginning."

Martouf agreed, saying, "If I remember what Samantha and Daniel told me, about ten years ago they managed to open the Stargate. They first went to Abydos and met with the people there. Daniel gained their trust and they took him and showed him a cave with a history written on the walls. Daniel was able to figure out that Ra had brought them there from earth."

"The expedition was to assess threat and at that time, there appeared to be none. Ra had not been there for some time. He had, in fact, missed several of the usual pick up cycles of the Naquadah and it was decided that perhaps he had abandoned the planet. Daniel stayed behind and worked on the archaeological findings. About a year later, the gate on earth activated and a Goa'uld came through. It was Ra. He took two women soldiers with him back through the gate, leaving several of your people dead. One of the young women he took was named, I believe Lieutenant Roslyn Meyers. The other was Samantha."

Martouf reached out, picked up the glass of water in front of him, and took a drink, as he considered his next words, "They were tortured for information about Earth. Neither woman told him anything, and eventually Lieutenant Meyers' mind gave out. After that there was no point in keeping her alive and Ra did not use the sarcophagus to revive her that last time. He also gave up on getting information from Samantha and after his last session with her, he had her thrown back into her cell without recourse to the sarcophagus first."

"She told me that she believed she would have been killed but a young boy caught Ra's attention, and he stopped his games with her for other pleasures. She was badly injured and he assumed she would slowly die."

Martouf closed his eyes, concentrating on the timeline of occurrences, and then he continued the story. "Samantha had been imprisoned for several months. Although your team and Daniel tried, they had no idea where Ra would have taken them. He liked young men and boys so Samantha was not in danger in that way, but it also meant he did not care if she lived or died, as he had not cared about Lieutenant Meyers. We had an operative amongst Ra's people and from what our operative was able to find out, he had taken the women thinking they would break easier than the men would. He did not know the Tau'ri women soldiers or he would have known better," he said, as he smiled grimly.

"Our operative had discovered that one of our people had also been captured and tortured for information. She was dying. Her name," he looked at Samantha, "was Rosha, and she was our mate. Rosha, Jolinar, and Samantha had become close during their captivity, as they were in the same cell. Rosha and Jolinar had explained to Samantha why Ra rarely put them in the sarcophagus unless they were dead from the torture."

"That was the first that Samantha had heard of the Tok'Ra. They explained how forcing the symbiote to heal the host weakened her even more, and therefore he hoped it would break her and force her to talk. It would not, of course, anymore than it would Samantha."

His voice flat and controlled, he continued his story, "Rosha was dying, and Jolinar was going to die with her. Ra had decided that she would never tell him anything so he simply tortured her nearly to death and had her taken back to her cell and left for dead. Samantha did what she could, but there was nothing with which to help her."

"Samantha asked Rosha if Jolinar was also dying, and Rosha explained to her that Jolinar would die because she had no host to go to not because she was injured. Ra had planned it well. Jolinar would die, not because she was so badly injured, but because her host was too badly injured to live. We do not take unwilling hosts, and he was well aware of that. Besides, the only other possible host was also dying. Or so he thought."

"I wasn't as badly hurt as he thought I was, was I?" Sam asked quietly.

"No. No, Samantha, you were not." He sighed and brushed his hand down his face before continuing, "Rosha asked Samantha to consider taking Jolinar, but Jolinar refused. She felt that Samantha was being coerced to take her by the circumstances, and that it was not truly voluntary. Jolinar did not believe that Samantha truly did not want her to die, or that she considered her as much a companion and friend as Rosha."

"It was at this point that our operative was able to arrange a rescue for Rosha and Jolinar. Rosha could not make it out alive, but if Samantha's injuries were not as severe as Ra had thought they were, it was possible Jolinar could save both of them. It was only when Rosha and Samantha pointed out that by refusing to blend with her, she was condemning not only herself and Rosha to death, but Samantha as well, that she agreed to blend with Samantha." Looking up from where he had been staring at nothing, he smiled slightly and said; "Now you see why I find it so difficult to believe that Jolinar would take a host without permission."

He shook his head as he saw Jack begin to disagree, "I am not saying you are lying, Colonel, I am explaining what happened in our reality. In our reality, my Jolinar would not take an unwilling host; that is all I am saying." Taking another drink, he began again, "To continue; when the operative came, she found Rosha dead and Jolinar busy healing a new host. Samantha explained, as quickly as she could, about Rosha and her injuries and how she had agreed to take Jolinar."

His voice still steady, he said, "The rescue went well, with no problems, and we met the woman who was to become our whole world. We loved Rosha and Jolinar deeply, but our love for Samantha was swiftly born and the more we knew of her the more we loved her. The love we had for Samantha and Jolinar became deeper than any other love we have ever known. The bond that Samantha and Jolinar formed was also very strong. They truly cared deeply for one another."

"Are you saying Sam stayed with the Tok'Ra?" Selmak came forward and asked quietly.

Martouf nodded, adding, "Yes, for a while. They were both very weak, and it took quite some time for both of them to heal completely. By that time, we had fallen in love and become mated. When they were finally strong enough to resume duties, Samantha contacted the SGC and arranged a meeting between our two races."

"Colonel O'Neill did not like the idea of anyone with a symbiote, and he never really trusted us, but we did have a certain amount of respect for one another that grew up over time. He was not happy that a member of his team was a Tok'Ra, nor was he happy to have me on the team, but we worked it out. Samantha and I split our time between the Tok'Ra and the Tau'ri." Again, he sighed, as he relived a past that held both joy and pain.

"We had a loose alliance, and it was through Samantha that you came to us, Jacob. She told you about the Tok'Ra and the Stargate when you were diagnosed with cancer. Selmak needed a new host and you needed to be healed. The blending was good for both of you and even though you knew little of one another before the blending, it proved to be a very compatible one. Until the day you both died, you cared deeply for one another."

Shaking off the obviously melancholy thoughts, he continued, "We sometimes went on joint missions with the Tau'ri, but mostly we shared intelligence. Later, Daniel, also, joined the Tok'Ra in my reality. We were very close to him and his mate. It was a great blow, when they were lost to us."

"I did?" Daniel asked, surprised.

As he looked at Daniel, it was obvious that he had a soft spot for the other man, and he said softly, "Yes. You did, and you enjoyed it very much. Your symbiote was a perfect match for you. He loved history, was an expert in languages, and enjoyed archaeology, which is probably why he was mated to Anise. The four of you were very much attuned to one another and interested in the same things. It was, as I said, a complete success as a blending."

Daniel looked shocked, but fascinated. As the rest of his sentence soaked in, he looked at Anise, only to find her smiling faintly at him. Daniel blushed. Anise's smile became brighter.

Selmak brought the subject back to something he considered more important. "So you and Samantha became mates, before she returned to the Tau'ri? And her becoming Tok'Ra is what helped to form your alliance with the Tau'ri." Selmak said.

"Yes, and it lasted several years, until," Martouf paused, looking at Selmak, "Until we were forced to kill them. There was to be a treaty summit. Samantha was a za'tarc. She was about to kill the President and we," once again he paused, as he looked at Sam, "we had to kill her. It was the hardest thing we have ever had to do," he whispered, his voice low and harsh.

"Well, as you can see, Samantha is alive in this reality, Martouf, but you are not mates. You were just getting to know each other when she had to-," Selmak stopped there, suddenly realizing how exactly opposite the incident had been. The only point that was the same was the fact that both realities had summits.

"She had to what, Selmak? What happened?"

"I forgot to check you for Goa'uld programming before the treaty summit. In this reality, it was you who tried to kill the President," Anise said firmly. "Samantha had to kill you to stop you from killing several others and yourself. It was a very difficult thing for her to do, and she has never forgiven me for not checking you. Nor does she believe me, when I tell her I could not save Martouf. Lantash survived for some time, but later died in an attack on Revanna, so we lost him also. We mourned the deaths of both of you deeply," she said, obvious sincerity in her voice.

"I see," Martouf said. "In our reality, it was just the opposite. We killed her, because she was the za'tarc." Martouf's head dropped forward and Lantash came forward to say, "I am sorry. Martouf and I have had a very hard time dealing with the loss of Samantha, and even though it has been several years, it is still difficult for us to talk about what occurred. To find out that she lives here, but is not our mate," his voice trailed off, before he took a deep breath, and continued, "It is…quite difficult, for both of us," he said, his voice strained with suppressed anguish, as he turned and once again looked at her.

"Now that you have all told them what you believe to be true," Sam said firmly, as she returned his gaze, "I will tell them the truth from my point of view. We were never formally mated; we never even got to the point of declaring ourselves to one another. But, I loved you both, and in my heart, I considered you my mates. I was afraid that I loved you because of the feelings Jolinar left in me when she died. After I killed you, I knew it wasn't true. I loved you myself, and not a day has gone by that I haven't bitterly regretted not telling you. If I find I love you, as I did my Martouf and Lantash, I will not fail to tell you so, that I will promise you. I wish very much to be with you, to spend time with you, and to get to know you."

Lantash smiled down at her and the love he had always had for his own Samantha rushed forward. "If you are not her, I do not know what the differences could possibly be. I believe we will find that we are very much the same people we were all those years ago. I, too, wish to be with you, to become acquainted with you all over again. I want that very much, my Samantha."

"She's not your Samantha. She's our Sam," Jack broke in harshly.

"Colonel, this really is not for you to decide. I am _your_ Major Carter. I am Martouf and Lantash's Samantha. You, and your attitude, were two of the things that kept me from admitting my love for Lantash and Martouf before. I will never allow that to happen again. If I am to have a second chance given to me, then I am going to grab at it with both hands, eagerly, even greedily, and nothing you or anyone else says, will stop me."

"Well, we'll see if the President agrees with you, Major."

"Don't do it, Colonel. All you'll force me to do is leave with the Tok'Ra today, instead of trying to work something out," Major Carter said, her voice vehement, in her sincerity.

"Colonel, Major, that's enough," General Hammond spoke up. "What Major Carter does with her personal life is not your concern, Colonel, please remember that."

"Thank you, General," Sam said quietly. "Perhaps we should get back to the subject at hand. Even though it sounds as if the time-lines and events are completely different in the two realities, we still need to know what happened, in case there is a point at which they converge again. My guess is that the realities were different even before the trip to Abydos."

"We will probably never know what decision or decisions were made that caused the trip to be so drastically different than the first trip when you all went … but I did not. Obviously, nothing about that trip was the same as ours, so at some point, there was a divergence. From then on, it sounds as if our realities have developed along very different lines for the most part, perhaps touching in places, only to diverge again. I don't believe we will find that they do converge again, but we should check to see if there are any other similarities like the summit."

"That is very true, Major, so, if you would continue, please," General Hammond turned to the Tok'Ra and indicated he should continue with his story. Having his emotions once again under control, after Samantha's declaration of intent, Lantash continued telling their history.

"Apophis and Ra were battling for supremacy. We were often there to cause trouble between them. It kept them both busy, trying to figure out which of the system lords was really the one that was nipping at their heels. And, there were several. Samantha was on an undercover mission with a minor Goa'uld when Apophis saw her. As odd as it sounds, I believe he fell in love with her. She, of course, already had a symbiote, but it made no difference to him. He wanted her, and he would have removed Jolinar and implanted my Samantha with his queen, but she was warned and managed to escape."

"Later, he found out that she was Tok'Ra, so she could no longer go undercover without great risk of being recognized. The minor Goa'uld Hek'tar'set, by name, that Samantha had infiltrated, had never forgiven her for being Tok'Ra and escaping. As I said, Apophis wanted, and I believe loved, Samantha. She soon became an obsession with him. The fact that Hek'tar'set had allowed her to escape enraged him. Apophis was not easy on him and you can imagine what he did to him. He was lucky to escape with his life."

"Somehow, Hek'tar'set did escape from Apophis. I do not know how he did it, for we never found out, but we are sure he is the one that programmed my Samantha to be a za'tarc. We believe he sent spies to find her and to bring her to him at a place close to us. We never knew she had gone anywhere other than on her mission, and she would not have known because of the false memories."

"He, of course, did not harm her in any way, he simply wanted to have her be killed by her own people, and therefore, take the chance of Apophis ever finding her, completely out of his reach and turn him so savagely against the Tok'Ra that we would all be destroyed. Moreover, he succeeded in his objective. He also succeeded in making a completely implacable enemy of Apophis. Since he was already enraged by him, it was no surprise that there was a hefty price put on Hek'tar'set's life."

"Apophis was wild when he found out that Samantha was dead. He never forgave that minor Goa'uld. I understand Hek'tar'set took a new host and is hiding on some planet on the fringes of Lord Yu's worlds. Apophis swore to kill all Tok'Ra because, in his twisted mind, it was because of us, that he lost her, even though he never truly had her."

"It was the beginning of the end in every way. Our alliance with the Tau'ri fell apart. The Tau'ri blamed us for not testing Samantha and we blamed them. The truth is that both of us should have tested her and neither side did. Apophis found out she was Tau'ri as well as Tok'Ra. He also discovered that they were causing many of his failures. He sent a fleet against earth. We had intelligence enough in advance that we had time to evacuate a great many people, but many more perished or became slaves."

"Apophis defeated Heru'Ur, Sokar, and finally Ra. His own Queen, Amaunet, was killed. He defeated and then forced Hathor to become his Queen after his queen's death, and in lieu of Samantha. So now, he has a strong queen, an empire, and the death of the Tok'Ra."

"He may next try to overcome Baal or Lord Yu, but I believe they will band together to stop him. It matters little to me now. I can do nothing for the people of my worlds, but I can perhaps help here. That is what I wish to do. Your worlds are still a viable place with a chance to survive. I am sure that there are many other things that are different and, in time, we will sort all of that out."

"I have many regrets, but not being able to turn Hek'tar'set over to Apophis is one of the most bitter. He caused me to lose everything I care about. My people, my mate, my Queen. Everything."

"I am sorry, Lantash," Selmak said, his sadness showing in his voice. "But at least the loss of your Queen was not recent. She at least has been gone for a long time, and your feelings of failure to her should not be so harsh. You and your brethren did try and that is all she would have asked. We know, for our Queen was found not long ago, and she was very proud of what we had become. She said that just knowing we were truly symbiotic beings who resisted and rejected the ways of the System Lords was enough to let her die feeling she had accomplished much."

"So Ra's death was recent here, also? And you found Egeria? Why was she ill? She should not have been old. She would have aged very slowly for she has been in stasis since Ra captured her," Lantash said.

"Actually, we found her. She was being used to breed symbiotes for a vaccine to keep people healthy on a world called Pangara. It was on a planet that Ra had abandoned long ago and he left her entombed there in a stasis jar. They found her and used her for that purpose for many years. She was dying by the time we found out about her," Daniel started talking rapidly, trying to fill Martouf and Lantash in on a part of this reality's timeline quickly.

"Ra has been dead here for 10 years. We went to Abydos, too, but Ra was there. We defeated him there and a year later, Apophis came through our gate at the SGC, but he only took one woman soldier; Sam wasn't here then. I had stayed on Abydos, but I married a native woman named Sha'uri. Apophis took her and made her his queen. Three years later, as she tried to kill me, Teal'c shot and killed her. Anyway, Sam and I can fill you in on our time line here. What made you think that Ra's death was recent and that Egeria would not be old? Did you find her on Pangara, in your reality too?" Daniel asked.

"No. No, I assumed that Ra's death was recent and that you had found Egeria there, but she was ill. In my reality, we found out that Egeria is still alive. She is known to be in stasis in one of Ra's pleasure palaces, on one of his lesser-known worlds. It was not until Apophis killed Ra, that an informant was able to get word to us about her. Selmak, Malek, and I were trying to get to her to free her, so that she could once again breed a generation of Tok'Ra."

"Are you telling us that in your reality, Egeria is a viable Queen? And that is why Apophis was so set on catching you?" Malek asked.

Lantash shook his head, before answering, "As far as we know, Apophis knows nothing about her. My only hope is that there is no way for him to find out. We were getting ready to leave the planet we were on, when Apophis arrived. He caught us trying to leave. He was trying to find out why we would try to leave, knowing he was there and would probably leave without ever realizing we were there. It was a large planet and we could have hidden. Hindsight says we should have, but we were afraid he would somehow learn of her, and go after her, before we could get to her. In the end," he finished bitterly, "we failed. All I can hope is that he never discovers her, and she remains in stasis forever or until someone releases her that will treat her well."

Malek and Anise looked at one another and then turned back to Lantash, "Are you absolutely positive about her viability, Lantash?"

"Yes, as much as I can be from our information. Our informant is loyal to the Tok'Ra, although he is not Tok'Ra himself. We helped free his planet from the Goa'uld once. It did not last, but he did not forget. He sent us information, whenever he could, and it was always extremely accurate. He was a member of Ra's court, being young and handsome. He hated Ra with a passion and returning the Tok'Ra Queen to her people, would have been a perfect revenge for him. If she has been in stasis for all these years, and we have no reason to doubt that information, then she should be fine once awakened from her sleep. We were counting on that being true."

Malek leaned forward in his chair, his posture tense. "Selmak, we should consider this," he said, his voice intense.

"I agree, Selmak. This could be very important," Anise, agreed, her voice, her posture, everything stating that this was indeed something not to be taken lightly.

"We will take it up with the council and see. We cannot decide something like this on our own," Selmak replied, obviously wanting time to think.

"I see no reason why we should. They would not need to know, until it was done, Selmak. This is important," Malek urged, stressing his belief, by being willing to avoid the council.

"We will think about it," Selmak agreed, but gave no indication he was willing to forgo talking to the council.

Lantash frowned. "Think about what?" he wanted to know.

"We will think about _where destiny leads_," Selmak replied wryly.

TBC


	4. Duty and Deceptions 4 WDL

**_Chapter Four Summary:_ **Realizing that Egeria was a viable queen, the Tok'Ra consider attempting to rescue her. General Hammond, realizing what a viable queen, one that was friendly to the Tau'ri, could mean in the fight against the system lords, tells them that he is willing to send his people with them to rescue her. Jack is in shock, and then a conversation with the General causes him to take a new look at the Tok'Ra and his teammates. He decides that he should get to know them better. And keep an eye on "Marty" at the same time.

**_Amek'tel kek'ma'tel – _**_Brain fever brought on by use of a ribbon devise with no time to heal the damage before it is used again._

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host Communication_

* * *

**_Where Destiny Leads_**

**_Chapter 4_**

**_Duty and Deceptions_**

* * *

"Perhaps your statement about where destiny is leading you, that you made earlier to Samantha, was indeed true, Lantash. Whether you call it luck, fate, or destiny, something did lead us all to one another. As Samantha said, the odds of those exact circumstances taking place were, indeed, astronomical," Selmak pointed out calmly.

"But-," Lantash began, only to stop. "Of course. How stupid of me. My brain must still be scrambled. Egeria is a prisoner in my reality and even if she was not, there is little she or her offspring could do. But here, where there is still a chance to defeat them, Egeria and her offspring would be a welcome addition to the fight. And might be the turning point in your battles with the system Lords."

"You no longer have a viable universe, but you do have a queen. We have a viable universe, but no queen. You would both be safer here than in your own universe," Malek spoke up, adding his voice and opinion.

"Indeed, Lantash, I agree with Malek and Selmak. You and Egeria would be welcomed here. Our numbers grow smaller, through attrition, all the time. Without a viable Queen, we too, will become extinct in time," Anise pointed out.

Turning to Selmak, she said, "For once I agree with Malek, Selmak. We should not waste time taking this to the council. If, as Lantash was led to believe, Apophis is still in ignorance of Egeria, we must rescue her before he somehow finds out. We have little time to lose, for if he does discover her, he will in all probability, not be satisfied to leave her in stasis. He will revive her, implant her, and torture her endlessly. I do not believe we should allow that to happen," Anise surprised them all by advising.

"Do the two of you realize what you are saying? Just what am I supposed to tell the council as to why we have not returned? We just felt like visiting the Tau'ri for a few days?" Selmak asked, obviously testy at not being able to think this situation through on his own and therefore, sounding more like Jacob than himself. "There are only three of us. Four counting Lantash. That doesn't seem-,"

"Excuse me, Selmak, but the last time I checked, I, too, am Tok'Ra. That brings our numbers to five," Jorlin pointed out. "I agree with Anise and Malek; we do not have time to wait for the council to debate this endlessly. Our Queen is in danger and needs us. We should go," she finished her opinion calmly.

"Does anyone know what the consequences of someone from an alternate reality coming into and staying in a different one would be? I think we should give that question some consideration," General Hammond spoke up, his gaze resting on Samantha Carter. This was her area of expertise.

"I don't believe there would be any consequences as far as cascade failure or anything like that. She should be able to come here without having to worry about the problem because Egeria is dead here as are Lantash and Martouf. There is no reason she couldn't be brought here. All the theories point to problems when you have two of the exact same makeup right down to the subatomic level trying to exist in the same space. Time travel would be different, too. Theoretically, two people who are the same could occupy the same space because their realities would actually be different. It's a little complicated, but the important thing,-" Sam was saying as General Hammond cut in.

"So bottom line, there should be no problem with Lantash, Martouf, and Egeria living in our reality. No consequences of any type."

"Well, sir, there would be no physical consequences to their physical bodies. I can't guarantee what their being here would do to our reality. I'm quite sure it would change it in some way, but we can't know that it isn't meant to be changed that way. You know yourself, sir, that time travel changes things if we aren't careful, and we know from experience that we may already have lived this one time or more before."

Nodding his head, General Hammond looked thoughtfully at Jacob first and then at the others at the table. This could mean a viable fighting force for the Tok'Ra in this reality. It was worth the risk to get them the aid they needed. And perhaps, if Egeria got to know the Tau'ri, she would understand their needs and adapt her offspring to blend better with them. It could be an advantageous pairing; he had seen that with Jacob. A few more symbiotes like Selmak and Lantash and he might even consider it himself. But, that wasn't for now. The Tok'Ra were looking at him in puzzlement. What he was about to say would no doubt stun them even more. "SG-1, you have a go. Begin tactical planning for a mission to rescue Egeria, the Queen of the Tok'Ra."

The stunned silence around the table didn't surprise him nor did Jack's question, "Sir? Are you sure about this? You want them to be able to make more sna, er, Tok'Ra symbiotes?"

"Yes, I do. And if we can get to talk to this Queen, we may be able to come to terms with her. She only knew humans from her time, two thousand years ago, Colonel. We've changed, evolved, and one of the ways we've evolved is our intense need for privacy and independence. Our dislike of being told what to do, of being out of control or controlled by outside forces."

"She can influence her offspring. If we can come up with a viable compromise, we can probably work something out as far as hosts. The Tok'Ra become not just an infiltrations group of fighters, but a viable fighting force that we can incorporate into our teams as well. We could see the true beginnings of working together. The Tok'Ra we see today are paranoid with good cause. They don't trust us, and that won't change until we can know each other better. Perhaps this Queen can make that happen. So, one way to do it is to help them keep her away from Apophis. As I said, you have a go."

"Sir, the Colonel can't go, and I don't imagine Teal'c can either. We know that Teal'c is still alive in that reality. We don't know about the Colonel. We know for sure that Daniel and I aren't alive, so we are safe to go and so are any of the Tok'Ra. Unless Martouf can tell us if any of the others we consider taking are alive or not, we can't take anyone else." Sam said.

"Major Carter, I believe I might be of great assistance in this endeavor. And I am no longer an exact replica of my alternate universe self. I no longer carry a symbiote," Teal'c pointed out calmly.

"What?" Lantash asked, as he looked closely at Teal'c. "How is that possible?"

"I take a compound that your Queen, in this reality, helped to perfect before she died, that allows me to function without my symbiote." Teal'c bowed his head to Lantash, as he continued, "I owe my freedom from that need to the Egeria in this reality. It is a debt, which up until now, I have been unable to repay. By helping to rescue her from her imprisonment in your reality, I will feel I have at last begun to repay that debt. I will consider it a great honor to be of service to her," Teal'c concluded, in his usual, solemn, stoic way.

"I see," Lantash said quietly, as he and the large Jaffa across the table stared into one another's eyes. "Jacob told me that I would find you much different than the Teal'c I had come to know and that he felt I would soon realize for myself that it was so. I believe he spoke even more truthfully than he knew, for I see nothing in you that reminds me of the Teal'c I knew other than a familiarity of features. I do not believe I will have difficulty in coming to terms with the differences in the two of you and I look forward to becoming acquainted with you and, if you are indeed able to accompany us, to working with you."

Bowing his head in acceptance of the words the other man offered, he replied, "As do I. I had great respect for our Lantash and Martouf and supported their fight against the system lords. I, too, will look forward to establishing a working relationship."

Turning to Sam, he asked, "Do you believe the change will be enough to allow me to accompany you, Major Carter? I do believe that having me with you could possibly help your mission."

"I'm not sure, Teal'c. In so many ways, you're still the same person. I'm not sure the loss of a symbiote would be enough of a difference to change things, but it could be. I suppose if you went with us and began to have problems we could simply send you back. You would no doubt be able to move about in that reality with relative ease. If we can find some of our people that Martouf and Lantash recognize as deceased for sure, in his reality, then we could chance it. There is no doubt you would be an asset to the mission."

"If you saw some of our people do you think you would recognize any that you could say for sure were no longer alive in your reality?" Sam turned back to Lantash to ask.

"I would, perhaps, recognize some of your people as being either dead or alive. Dr. Fraiser is alive in the other reality. The last I knew, Colonel O'Neill was alive. He went through to the Alpha site, I believe. They had several sites, several worlds to which they took people. Gate addresses they had found that were not on the cartouche. They found them in some ruins and Daniel and Anise figured out what they were. One of them was Keb. That is the Alpha site base. The Goa'uld do not go there because of the legends, but we have seen nothing out of the ordinary there and neither have the Tau'ri. It is where we would have taken Egeria if we had been able to rescue her," Lantash said quietly.

"Keb is a planet of the Ancients. Goa'uld that go there aren't welcome if they attempt to harm anyone. As long as they do no harm, then they are left alone as far as we could tell. At least the time we were there, they weren't harmed until they refused to leave the temple and tried to harm a child and us. Then they were, ah, fried."

"I see. Then the Tau'ri should be safe there. That is a relief. I know that Jack was worried that he was taking his family to a place where they would end up enslaved or worse." Lantash said, as he looked at O'Neill.

Jack sat quietly for a moment, before asking, "What family?"

Lantash frowned, but answered, "Your wife and son, Colonel. They were part of the groups that were evacuated. Your world took first the best of your scientists and doctors, engineers, builders, inventors, agriculturists, anyone that had skills that might be needed. The best and brightest is what our O'Neill called them. Then the families of the members of your military. Then you started evacuating the general populace. Thousands upon thousands were evacuated."

"We took many in cargo ships. Thousands went through the gate. Unfortunately, millions chose to stay and fight, and most perished. Those that did not perish were enslaved. You opened your gate and country to your entire world."

"Unfortunately, many foreign countries did not believe you, and I admit you took as many of your own as wished to leave first. Still there were a few months left and many from other countries did leave. Many were even allowed to go to their own planets. Particularly those that did not agree with the United States" he stated, "which seemed an obvious solution to us. It seemed pointless to take people with opposing views into your own new country. And, I should not say that you only evacuated your own people first. In fact, many countries that were allies of yours were offered evacuation immediately. It was a truly massive undertaking."

"Our alliance had fallen apart by then, but we did lend what little aid we could. Moreover, your worlds were open to us as sanctuaries up until the day I left that reality. By the end, both sides had realized that the alliance should not have been abandoned, that it might have made a difference," Lantash said, his voice laced with sadness once again. "However, there do seem to have been some very major differences in our realities. Perhaps it would have made no difference at all," he frowned, as he thought of all the differences they had already discussed. So many differences.

Still brooding about what had been, he switched his thoughts. So many lives lost to the Goa'uld. Could they stop that from happening in this reality? It was already more successful than theirs had been. It was worth the effort and besides Samantha was here. His future was now tied to this reality. If he could help his old reality he would, but this reality, his new home, would be the priority.

Looking at Jacob, he said quietly, "If you truly wish to recover Egeria for our reality, I will tell you every thing I know about her reality. I believe that once we have her here, and explain to her what has happened, she will in all probability agree that we did the best we could. At least here, she will be free and working against the System Lords once again, something she has been stopped from doing for two thousand years. And she will be doing so with allies, something she had very few of before."

Selmak understood what he was saying and smiled at him, "Welcome home, Lantash. It's wonderful to have you and Martouf back where you belong."

Smiling, Lantash replied, "It is good to be back. It is very good to be back," he said again, as he looked at Samantha. His breath seemed to catch as she smiled back.

* * *

"My Lord Apophis, two of the Tok'Ra we know were disintegrated. The third escaped through the Chaappa'ai and we followed. We know he was hit by at least one staff blast. On the other side, we lost him inside a building, but it is my belief that he destroyed himself. I have brought back what we believe was him. He also killed two of my men as he took his own life," the First Prime to Apophis knelt in front of his _God_ and held his breath. Would his Lord accept the pieces of flesh as the Tok'Ra they had been chasing? If not, then his life was probably forfeit. It would not be the first time he knelt and waited to see if his Lord would destroy him in his anger. Someday, it would be his last, he knew. It seemed this was not to be that day, though.

"Very well, Teal'c. Dispose of the pieces by feeding them to the carrion crows. A fitting end for the _sholva_ Tok'Ra. The Last of them to be fed in pieces to the vultures of this world. We will stay here for the next few cycles. Then I shall decide which part of our new domain to explore next. You will send some of our fleet as a show of power over the worlds that were once Ra's, but which now worship their new God, Apophis." He frowned as he thought for a moment, then continued, "Make it his favored planets, the ones that he held the most dear. For now, we will not be bothered with those that are basically worthless. There are several that he used simply as pleasure palaces. Those can wait. First we will consolidate the worlds that were his power base."

"Yes, My Lord. As you wish."

Teal'c understood the hand gesture telling him to rise and he nodded to one of his most trusted underlings to begin preparations for the dispersal of their Lord's warships. Soon they would take over those of Ra's that were left also. Apophis was now more powerful than any of the other system lords except for perhaps two and even they would probably need to fight him together. And there was not much chance of that. But then, neither was it likely that Apophis would be foolish enough to attack them.

So, evidently, the fact that the Tok'Ra were all dead was enough to mitigate his anger at losing his prey. That, and the fact that the slave girl standing next to him was very beautiful and his attention was on her. Even with the escape before they had gotten any information out of them, she was managing to keep his attention only partly on his failure. They all worked together to keep his temper under control if at all possible. The slave girls were adept at it and they often kept him from killing or permanently harming the Jaffa. In return, the Jaffa did what they could to protect them.

He hoped he would be able to protect the little slave girl that had been found in the Tok'Ra's cell. She had been bound and unconscious when they had found her. She had delivered their food to them and somehow they had overpowered her and the guards. The guards they had killed, the girl they left alive. Teal'c was sure they had been too weak to overcome the guards unless they had weapons. And the weapons could only have come from one place. Someone in Apophis's ranks was sympathetic to the Tok'Ra and had somehow managed to get the weapons to them. It didn't matter who it was. All that mattered was that Apophis not realize it.

Therefore, he said, "My Lord, the girl they attacked, and left for dead, has recovered if you wish to speak to her."

As the thunder began to gather on his brow, Teal'c watched the slave girl begin to run her finger lightly around his ear and down his neck. He watched as she offered him some fruit with a seductive smile. Oh, yes, he thought grimly, they were all working on protecting each other. As usual, it distracted Apophis enough to dampen his anger. The girl was brought forth as Apophis was taking a bite of the fruit.

Teal'c looked her over unobtrusively. She had been cleaned up and dressed so that her few bruises were prominent. They were a visual clue to Apophis to channel his anger against the perpetrator rather than the innocent in front of him. And she was a beautiful girl, which should help her. If she knew how to use that attribute, that was, and something told Teal'c that she would know exactly how to do so.

Leading her forward, Teal'c announced, "This is Ria'ta, my lord. She has recovered some. I am afraid she was hysterical for quite some time, but we have given her something to calm her."

Keeping her eyes on the floor, she appeared to hold back in fear, needing Teal'c to forcibly lead her forward. "Come, girl, no one will hurt you here," Apophis said sternly. "I wish only to know what happened."

Kneeling in front of Apophis, she raised large blue eyes, swimming in tears to his. I do not really know, My Lord Apophis. One minute I was holding the serving vessel with their food and the next I was lying on the floor, bound," she whispered hesitantly. "I believe they thought I was unconscious and I am sorry, but, I allowed them to think so, because I was afraid they would kill me."

"A natural reaction. Did you hear them say anything?" he demanded abruptly, as he realized that if they thought she was unconscious they might have said something that would give them a clue as to what their mission had been. For they had been on a mission, he was sure. Why else would they chance trying to leave the planet while he was there? This was a large planet. They could have hidden for he had not even known they were there for sure. Only when they had been making plans to try to leave had he found out for sure that they were indeed on the planet. Still they could have hidden. Whatever it was they were trying to do, it must have been important.

He realized the girl looked distraught and at the same time, she managed to send him admiring glances from her large blue eyes. She reminded him of the blonde Tau'ri he had wanted as his queen. She had died, unfortunately. Had she been his queen, she would have been better cared for forever.

When he had found out that one of the minor system lords had programmed her to kill some major Tau'ri and Tok'Ra, and then herself, he had been furious. The System Lord in question had disappeared, but he had taken over his small domains. When he found him he would kill him, but it was not enough to compensate him for the loss of the blonde Tau'ri. Eventually, he would have captured her again.

Bringing himself back from thoughts of the past, he asked again if she had heard anything.

"I-I heard a few words, but I do not know what they were talking about, my lord."

"I am not asking you to know what they meant, only what they said."

"Yes, my lord. I–I heard one of them mention Lord Yu and another one Lord Baal. I also heard them say something about an attack and that they had to get away, that they were running out of time, that they could not stay here longer. They were going through the Guards things, I think, perhaps looking for weapons or whatever they could find that they might need, I suppose. Then they must have shot me with a zat'nik'tel because I felt great pain, and then I woke up to the shouting and running. I am afraid I was very frightened and I could not talk for quite some time. I believe, I was screaming. They gave me something, and I feel much better now."

'Teal'c admired the way the girl managed to convey both helplessness and eager admiration at the same time with just a few guarded looks. No doubt, she would share her lord's bed this night, but it would be a small price to pay to stay alive, he supposed. If the girl was telling the truth, the Tok'Ra were trying to leave because Lord Yu and Lord Baal were about to attack Lord Apophis. Perhaps, if my lord also figured that out, they would move to a different planet. Less chance that my lord would realize that the body parts he returned with were not as fair skinned as the Tok'Ra had been. Yes, leaving here would not be a bad idea at all.

He watched, as Apophis looked the girl over again. She was very comely and well built. He was not surprised when he told the girl beside him to take Ria'ta and see to it that she was _taken care of_ and that he would see both of them _later_. The girl beside him nodded her agreement and indicated that Ria'ta should follow her. The girl rose to her feet, being sure that Apophis was aware of her youth, beauty and voluptuousness, then she followed the other girl from the room.

"Teal'c, the next time we want information and our usual methods do not work, remind me to try women. I do not know why I never thought of it before. But, for now, I wish you to gather your people and prepare to leave this place. We will go to our most fortified planet instead of awaiting Lords Yu and Baal here. Perhaps they will think twice before attempting to overcome me there."

"Yes, my lord. I will have us out of orbit within an hour."

He watched as Apophis left to take a few needed hours in the sarcophagus. When he awoke, they would be well on their way to their home world. He wondered what Lord Yu and Lord Baal were really doing. Not planning an attack on Lord Apophis, he was very sure. Either the girl had deliberately given false information, or the Tok'Ra had made sure she over heard false information. It did not matter. He preferred to leave this place himself. The body pieces would be left behind for burial. What the god did not know would not hurt him.

Making his way down the hallway to the slave's quarters, he knocked once and opened the door. It was a small courtesy they gave to one another when the Lord was not around. He entered and was not surprised to see the girl Ria'ta naked and being cleansed and readied for the evening.

Walking to her he said, "My Lord Apophis will sleep for several hours. Jars'ia and Nal'ka will tell you how best to please him. Say nothing more than you have said already, and do not waver from the tale. He is easily distracted. They will teach you that which you will need to know. I will also tell you this. The only woman I have ever known our Lord Apophis to be enthralled by looked very much like you. You have her pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. If you please him, you will be a big help to yourself and to all of us. Jars'ia and Nal'ka will explain how things are done here, in case you do not know. I believe you are a new addition to the court."

"I am."

Teal'c nodded. "They will teach you that which you need to know to survive here. We leave in less than an hour for Lord Apophis's homeworld." Still watching the girl, he said quietly, "I am Teal'c, first prime of Apophis. I am in charge of all things pertaining to his court as well as his armies. You must come to me, or one of these two women, if you do not understand anything. No one else."

She nodded, once, and then asked, "Teal'c, the-the Tok'Ra, they are all dead?"

"You heard me say so, did you not?"

Swallowing hard, she bowed her head. "Of course. I simply wished to ascertain for myself that those that had attacked me, had indeed been punished," she said quietly, looking down at the floor.

"I do not believe they will bother you more. I saw two of them disintegrated. The third blew himself up, as I told my Lord Apophis," he declared, watching her closely. Yes, there was definite pain in her at this news. So, now he knew who had helped the Tok'Ra. These things were always good to know. If she was willing to help the Tok'Ra, she would blend in well with their own ring of protection they spread across those that could be trusted. This, if the truth was known, was the majority of the Jaffa and slaves.

Bowing slightly, he nodded to the two other slave women, and left to complete his duties. His lord would be up in a few hours. He wanted to be well on their way to the homeworld by then, if at all possible. He wished he knew for sure what had happened to the Tok'Ra, for he had found no sign of him. Not only that, but at one point he had looked into what looked like a mirror and thought he saw him standing there with the other two Tok'Ra. Then they were gone. It had been a very unsettling thing to see, for although he had not found the third Tok'Ra, he had definitely seen the other two disintegrated. Yes, the sooner they were away from this place the better he would feel.

He was just glad that no one else had seen it.

* * *

"General are you sure we should be doing this? I mean—more snake-heads. And how do we know that this queen is really Tok'Ra, and even if she is, how do we know they are the same as our Tok'Ra? Not that they're so great, but at least they're a known entity," Jack O'Neill was pacing the general's office, and he was beginning to get on General Hammond's nerves.

"Jack, _sit down_," General Hammond demanded, and then waited until he complied, before speaking. "Did you listen to anything that this Lantash said, Jack? I mean, really listen to him?"

"Well, yeah, sure, he sounded just as arrogant as the rest of the sna, er, Tok'Ra," Jack replied.

"If that's what you saw and heard, then you didn't really listen to him, at all. Of course, you couldn't seem to get your head outta your butt for any length of time, and it's pretty hard to hear when that's where you've stuck your ears," George Hammond said, bluntly.

"You may not have heard him, but I did, and so did Dr. Jackson and Teal'c. Even Major Carter managed to get her head out of the clouds long enough to hear him. He didn't sound arrogant at all, Jack. And when he said that there was _no excuse_ to take an unwilling host, there was an edge to his voice that I've never heard from any of the other Tok'Ra, except Selmak, and even he doesn't have it to the extent that Lantash did."

"Since you can't seem to remember what he said, I'll repeat it for you, _he said, "There is always the choice of death. One does not take a host by force for any reason. It is the highest law of the Tok'Ra, the one law Egeria impressed upon our consciousness most stringently." _His voice stressed that sentiment, Jack. It was implacable. No wiggle room."

"Now, stop being your normal self, and think about this. If this Queen comes through to this reality, not only will that same law be impressed on any young born here, but the Tok'Ra here will respect her, as their Queen, and if she stresses that to them, it will become even more important than it is to them now."

"I personally believe that the two thousand years of fighting have caused them to loosen their standards somewhat. They pay it lip service, but needs must. And, in some cases, I can't blame them. They do believe in a symbiotic relationship. If we can influence this queen to impress that even more stringently onto her new offspring, we would have a valuable resource in our fight against the system lords. We need this and so do they."

"Use your head, Jack, and try to look beyond your dislike. I realize you have good reason. However, they also have good reason to be paranoid. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is to get over it. It's time to move on."

Jack frowned at the General, as he let his words soak into his consciousness. There was just so much bad history there. And what about Carter? Well, he wouldn't know without asking.

"Are you seriously thinking about letting that sna, er, Tok'Ra get close to Carter?" He asked roughly.

"Jack, I know you never wanted to see it, and I know it's not because you care for Major Carter in any inappropriate way, but the truth is that she loved Martouf and Lantash," he said quietly. "I wasn't ever going to discuss this with you because it wasn't my place to tell you, but we came very close to losing Major Carter when Martouf died."

"What do you mean? She wasn't going to go with them was she?"

The General looked at him steadily, before saying, "That was one option she considered. She really wanted to be with his people and her father. In the end, she decided it would be too painful and considered resigning her commission and leaving the service. It was a very close thing for many months. When Lantash died, it started all over again. She was going to take Lantash when he was well enough, but she hadn't told any one except Jacob."

"When he died, it almost destroyed her again. Then she lost Daniel. We are very, very lucky to have her here. If she finds with this Martouf and Lantash what she never got to have with the others, then I'm certainly not going to stop her. And neither are you," he finished quietly.

"I knew it bothered her that she was the one that killed him. I didn't realize," Jack stopped, shaking his head, as he realized how little he had been aware of how his 2IC was feeling.

"It didn't _bother_ her, Jack. It almost destroyed her. And, I'm not going to stand in the way of anything that might mitigate some of that pain. Moreover, I expect you to do what you can to help, and one of the first things you'll do, is stop referring to them as _snakes_. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir, understood," Jack said quietly. "I'll try to put it behind me. I don't know if I'll succeed, but I can assure you that I'll do my best to try not to be so, um, abrasive." He stopped and frowned, "But, I'm still gonna keep an eye on him. Just because I'm gonna be _nice,_ doesn't mean I have to trust him."

"That's all I'm asking, Jack. Do your best to get along with them, and be polite," the general said, quietly.

Jack nodded, as the General dismissed him. Even if it killed him, he wouldn't say a word. Well, he'd try not to say a word. Carter deserved to be happy. He'd just have to get along with this new Martouf and Lantash. He supposed he should spend some time with Marty, see if they could become, well, _acquainted_. Yeah, _acquainted_, that was a good word. Moreover, if he just happened to be keeping an eye on him, while he was at it, well, he was just making sure he was settling in. Jack frowned. He was with Jacob and Selmak now. Maybe he'd wait till this evening.

Sure, Marty'd be bored this evening and he'd, well, they could, um, maybe…_Hockey_! He had copies of his hockey tapes here on base for when they occasionally had to be _confined_. He'd grab Marty this evening, and they'd become '_acquainted_', over some beer, chips and Hockey. He'd grab the rest of the team, too, so it wouldn't be so obvious that he was watching, er, getting _acquainted_ with him. Mentally he shook his head in disbelief. The things he did for his team.

TBC


	5. Staring Into Yesterday 5 WDL

**_Chapter Five Summary: _**_Selmak convinces Sam, with a few well-chosen words, that Lantash and Martouf could have a relapse. Of course, there would be no one with them as they all needed to make some decisions so were going to be meeting for most of the day. Alarmed at the thought of them dying, Sam insists she will stay with them. They begin a very good conversation. General Hammond establishes their reason for being absent from the Tunnels, with little fuss and bother. Now, they can truly begin to focus on the upcoming mission instead of all of the minor annoyances, such as Garshaw and the council. _

**_Amek'tel kek'ma'tel – _**_Brain fever brought on by use of a ribbon devise with no time to heal the damage before it is used again._

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host Communication_

* * *

**_Where Destiny Leads_**

**_Chapter 5_**

**_Staring into Yesterday_**

* * *

"Martouf, why don't you and Lantash go and talk to Sam?" Jacob asked, after he didn't receive an answer the third time he asked the same question. He shook his head. It was obvious that the two of them were not thinking about the upcoming mission. And he and Selmak had to come up with a reason for them not to return to the Tok'Ra base for an extended time. He had already decided to set Anise and Malek to thinking about that little bit of subterfuge, since it was their idea. He'd let Jorlin off the hook, if she wanted off it, because she wasn't really pushing; she'd just agreed to go along.

He wished Brialek was with them, but he wasn't, and in reality, it was probably just as well. If they all ended up dead, or in a heap of trouble, he'd just as soon he wasn't one of them. He was a good operative and a good friend to all of them, but even though he would have been an asset, he didn't really want to put any more people, or symbiotes, at risk than he already was. He sighed again, and brought his thoughts back to the problem at hand; what to tell Master Garshaw about why the four of them weren't returning to the base. They would soon be overdue with no excuse. Their original excuse being the meeting had been postponed until today due to the illness of a key person. Which was true as far as it went.

After he put Malek and Anise to work on coming up with some subterfuge to explain their delay further, maybe he'd go talk to George and do some brainstorming about this mission. Sam needed to be brought into this. Jack would be great, if he wasn't being such an ass. He was good at tactics. Well, Teal'c would just have to take his place. He'd be excellent, too, especially in the circumstances. He sighed, again, as he looked at Martouf.

"Okay, Martouf, let's go. Martouf! I said, let's go," Jacob raised his voice, and finally got a response from the man sitting next to him.

"I am sorry, Jacob, were you talking to me?" Martouf asked.

"I've _been_ talking to you for ten minutes, Martouf," Jacob stated, laconically. "If you've finished mangling that sandwich, come with me. If not, and you really feel a need to finish the destruction, we can sit here, until you've completed shredding it, if you like."

Martouf looked down into his plate, appearing surprised at what he saw. "I am sorry, Jacob, I do not seem to feel very hungry," he finally said, after giving the mound of sandwich parts a thorough perusal.

"Well, if I had eaten a dozen doughnuts, I probably wouldn't be, either. Come on. You've been assigned a room. I'll take you there and show you where everything is," Jacob said, as he picked up his tray to return it. Glancing up, he saw Malek seated at a corner table with the pretty blonde, Lieutenant Donovan. Malek wouldn't be happy at being interrupted. Ah, well, such was life. Martouf followed his gaze and smiled with him.

Looking beyond him, he saw Daniel Jackson sitting with Anise and Jorlin, the two archaeologists deep in conversation. Jorlin looked extremely bored. Jacob grinned. On second thought, she would probably welcome the meeting to come up with an excuse to stay on the Tau'ri world, as a reprieve of sorts. Perhaps, they could rope Daniel into that meeting, as well as Teal'c. Both men could have some ideas, and Daniel was noted for thinking_ outside of the box_. He might come up with a truly inventive reason for them to say they couldn't return to the base.

In the meantime, it would give Sam and Martouf some time alone, too. Sam had disappeared to her lab after the briefing. No doubt to try to sort through her feelings about the turn of events. Having come to some type of terms with the loss of Martouf and Lantash, this had to be throwing her back into an emotional whirlwind.

Opening a door, he turned to Martouf. "Here you are, home from home for now, anyway. I suggest you get a little more rest," he said, cheerfully.

"We are quite well and very able to attend any meetings you feel we should have, Jacob." Martouf assured him.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are, but I also know that you've been through a lot and..." Jacob's eyes flashed, indicating Selmak had come fore, and Martouf straightened perceptibly, as Lantash took control.

Selmak looked at him grimly, and stated, "I am well aware that you wish to insist that you are quite well, with no aftereffects of yesterday's illness. However, having lived through that exact thing myself, twice, I am, also, well aware that the effects can linger for several days. You tire easily, and your appetite is sporadic at best. One minute you are voraciously hungry, and the next you have no interest in food whatsoever. You are also having some trouble regulating your body temperature, you have a headache, and occasionally blurred vision," Selmak stated firmly.

Lantash looked mutinous for a moment, but before he could rebut the statements, Selmak continued, "We are going to need you on this mission, Lantash. If you are unwell, it will jeopardize our success. I will not allow that to happen. I do not care if you admit to the aftereffects of the _Amek'tel kek'ma'tel_ verbally or not; there is no need, as I am very much aware of them and do not need your verbal agreement to know how you are really feeling."

"You will rest today and tomorrow, as often as possible, for by the next day at the latest, we will be stepping through that mirror and back into your old reality, to face we know not exactly what. There are decisions to be made and supplies to be gathered, as well as plans to be made. I prefer to have you take part in those decisions, for your Intel will be invaluable. Therefore, you need to rest, when we are discussing things that you have no need to be involved in. Consider it an order, if that makes it easier."

Lantash frowned and looked toward the bed. Nodding sharply, he turned and made his way to it, to sit on its edge. "I will be ready to help with the planning and to accompany you, Selmak. I will not fail in this endeavor a second time," he said firmly, his voice grim.

Selmak shook his head, saying, "Lantash, the odds of you succeeding in this mission before, were so far against you, it was inevitable that you should fail. That will not be the case for this mission. The odds are in our favor this time. We have Teal'c and more manpower. We are all healthy and unharmed going into it. I have a feeling that even before the capture and torture, the three of you were not in optimum condition. I think you will find a few naps of several hours duration, that are uninterrupted by fear, will do wonders for your condition. Someone will be by to check on you, and we will come for you, when it is time to start the tactical meetings."

"You are right, of course, and I should have thought of it myself. I will do as you request." Lantash agreed, as he removed his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt.

"I'm glad you are seeing sense. I will see you later. Rest well, my friend," Selmak smiled, as he left the room and headed for Sam's lab. It was true that Lantash was having those symptoms, but they would pass whether he rested or not. True they would pass faster, if he rested, but it was just as important that he get to speak to Samantha Carter, in private and uninterrupted. "_Stop sputtering, Jacob, you were about to suggest yourself that he spend some time with Samantha. We both believe that they need to get to know one another all over again."_

_"He was getting undressed, Sel. I wasn't going to suggest they spend time in bed together getting to know each other,"_ Jacob protested loudly.

_"He was removing his shoes and shirt, Jacob, which can hardly be described as undressed. Calm down. Your daughter is a grown woman."_

_"She's my little girl. You're setting her up to be seduced,"_ Jacob ranted.

_"It will do them a world of good, if it happens, but I do not believe it will. At least, not at this time. Before we leave on this mission, I am sure Samantha will wish to experience being intimate with them in case something goes wrong and one or both of them does not survive. However, that is none of our business,"_ Selmak continued. Reaching Sam's lab, he knocked lightly.

Looking up, Sam was surprised to see her dad. She realized almost at once that it was Selmak. "Selmak. This is a surprise."

"I wished to apologize to you for not reminding Jacob to be sure you were informed. What with Lantash so ill yesterday, it totally slipped our minds. I will be relieved when the last of the side effects are over, and we know for sure that he will recover."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, as her eyes widened. That had sounded like Lantash and Martouf could still die.

"Until the last of the symptoms pass one does not know for sure…however, I convinced him to lie down and rest. Hopefully that will be enough to reverse the stress of the morning's interview."

"Are you saying he could have a relapse?"

"Anything is possible," Selmak said solemnly.

"Is someone with him in case something happens?" Sam asked, amazed at the apparently uncaring attitude Selmak was showing.

"I must meet with my people to plan our next moves. I cannot afford to spend time sitting with him, when this mission is so vital to the survival of the Tok'Ra as a whole. It is imperative that we make our plans, as soon as possible, and execute them equally swiftly. We will hope for the best. I am sure he will be fine," Selmak said, avoiding her eyes.

"_Of course, you're sure he'll be fine. There's really nothing wrong with him. At least not to the extent you are leading Sam to believe."_

_"Nonsense, Jacob, for all we know, he could have a relapse."_

Jacob snorted, or at least did his best imitation of one, in the back of his mind.

"I'll sit with him. He shouldn't be left alone," Sam offered as visions of Martouf and Lantash dying entered her head and made her catch her breath. That couldn't be allowed to happen. Not again. She wouldn't go through that again, if there was anything she could do to prevent it.

"Why, thank you, Samantha, but I really do not believe that is necessary. I am sure you have many things you need to do, since you also, will be going on this mission. I am sure he will be fine. I will be able to check on him by this evening."

"This evening? That's hours away. He could be ill again by then," she exclaimed. "No, I'll sit with him. I have nothing to do that can't be completed later, or when we return with the Queen. Besides, I can take some things with me to do," she said, as she started to gather her laptop and the notes she might need. "He's in a VIP room right? You were all given rooms, weren't you?"

"Yes, and as I am going that way, I will show you which one Martouf and Lantash are in. You will call, if something goes wrong and you need us."

"Yes, of course."

They left her lab and strode quickly down the hall.

_"Sel, you realize that this isn't even slightly above board. You should be ashamed of yourself."_

_"I will allow my conscience to worry about that later, dear one. For now, I am more concerned with easing the pain that each of them are feeling. Or had you not considered that part of their feelings in this?"_

_"No. I hadn't. So you think this will help them get past the pain? Both of them have a lot of it with which to deal."_

_"It is a start, Jacob. They must face it and try to get beyond it sooner or later, and I would rather they started and hopefully managed to get beyond it now, than to have it suddenly raise its head, during the mission."_

_"You're right. I hadn't thought of that angle. I just hope he doesn't seduce her," _Jacob finished slightly less grimly.

Realizing they were almost to the VIP rooms, Sam asked, "Is there anything I should look for in particular?"

"No, nothing in particular. I am sure if something begins to go wrong, you will know. Ah, here we are. I will see you after while, Samantha. Thank you for offering to take care of them for us."

"You're welcome, Selmak. I'll see you later."

_"She didn't even realize I never said a word to her,"_ Jacob said, astonished. _"Normally, she'd want to know why I wasn't talking to her."_

_"She may have felt I would know more about the situation, Jacob. And she was clearly worried about them. A good sign and a circumstance that should show you that they do indeed need to begin to talk to one another, get to know one another, and the sooner the better."_

_"Right," _Jacob said. _"You're a devious little dragon, you know that Sel?"_

_"Why, yes, Jacob, I believe I do."_ Selmak laughed, but did not give Jacob control. He wanted to get the meeting started first. Then he would let Jacob come back, when he could not very well leave without starting gossip.

_"Thanks, Sel, I'll remember that."_

_"I know, Jacob, but it will be worth it if it works out for them."_

_"Yeah,_" Jacob finally agreed, softly, _"It will."_

* * *

Samantha Carter was nervous as she watched them walk away down the hall. She raised her hand to knock twice before eventually bringing herself to do it. Finally knocking very lightly, she got no response, and lifted her hand to knock louder. Realizing they could be asleep, she stopped before she could knock again. She opened the door quietly and made her way into the room. A glow came from a safety light. You couldn't have VIP's tripping and falling in the dark and getting hurt.

Putting her things down on a nearby table, and then walking to the bed, she stood beside it and looked down at the man lying there. He had removed his shirt and had on only his t-shirt and pants. Seeing him lying there in the tight black T-shirt, his arms folded behind his head, it was all she could do to stop herself from reaching out and touching him. The need to do so was so intense, it was a physical ache, and she balled her hands into fists to stop herself from doing so. Shutting her eyes against that aching need, and drawing a breath, she was surprised to find herself looking into his eyes, when she opened hers.

"Samantha?" Martouf asked, hesitantly, as if he was not sure she was truly there.

"I, yes, I…" she stopped and pulled in another calming breath. "Yes, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to awaken you."

Martouf shook his head; "I would rather be with you than sleep. And besides, we were not actually asleep, yet." Reaching over, he turned on a small lamp before moving farther toward the center of the bed and indicating that she should sit down on the edge.

Swallowing in nervousness, Sam nodded, and proceeded to perch gingerly on the edge, as if expecting to suddenly need to escape quickly.

When neither said anything, Sam finally broke the silence saying, "Selmak said that you were still not completely over the fever. I thought I'd stay with you in case you had a relapse and needed help. I – I brought my laptop and some work I could do quietly. I didn't mean to disturb you, I was just checking on you," she said hurriedly, trying to calm her response to him.

_"Relapse? Lantash, can we have a relapse?"_ Martouf, asked, obviously surprised.

_"Not to my knowledge, Martouf. I believe Selmak has arranged for us to have time alone with Samantha. This explains his sudden insistence that we rest now. Although to be fair, he was speaking the truth about that, and we do need to be in good condition before the mission. He is simply using a circumstance to its best advantage."_

_"I see,"_ Martouf said, speculatively. _"In that case, we shall do all we can to make full use of his tactics."_

Lying back down from where he had raised himself on his elbow, he said, "I am fine for now. Please, you do not need to concern yourself unduly, but if the thought of my being ill has brought you here to sit with me, I will not complain, nor will I tell you to leave. I wish to spend time with you, Samantha, whenever and wherever I can," he said sincerely.

Sam offered him a tentative smile in exchange, and then looked down and watched her fingers pluck nervously at the comforter. When she looked up, her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "It's just so hard," she finally whispered. "You're so much like him. It, it brings back a lot of," she paused, before saying, "memories."

"And not pleasant ones," Martouf said, quietly. "Believe me, Samantha, I am aware. Lantash and I…we, as well, are having difficulty with the situation. I meant what I said. Killing you, the you in the other reality, was literally the hardest thing we have ever had to do. We wanted to die for a very long time afterwards, and only the knowledge that you would not have approved of, nor wished for us to do so, kept us from it."

"To see you here, now, and know you are no longer our mate is, as I said, very difficult. What we wish to do is take you to our bed and make love to you, until you cry for release. However, although, we know that will not happen anytime soon, we will not give up hope that it might happen sometime in the future."

Sam continued to rub the comforter for a moment, before drawing a deep breath, and again looking up and into the eyes, she never thought to see again. "I was completely devastated, when I had to kill you. I still have nightmares about it sometimes. I couldn't talk to anyone about it because no one knew how I felt about you. No one but the General and my dad, anyway. They were very supportive, and I lived from day to day and made work my priority. Defeating the Goa'uld became the focus of my life. I thought that you would want me to go on fighting them, trying to defeat them, for you, for all the innocent lives they have taken over the millennia. Mostly for you, though."

"I really don't know if I can distinguish you from him. I know in my mind you aren't him, but my senses tell me you are. My heart is telling me you are. I'm very confused. I want you to be him. I want that second chance to be with you Martouf, you and Lantash. I don't know what to do now, how to go on, or even," she blushed slightly, "how far to take my attraction to you. I'm afraid, but I want to be close to you. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, it does. We know exactly how you are feeling, Samantha. We, too, wish to be close to you, but we do not wish to upset you by moving to fast. Left up to us, you would be lying here with us, wrapped in our arms, under our body as we climbed the heights together. You would be moaning our names, as we moaned yours, and we would bring one another to completion. We would be learning of one another, as if it was the first time, which, of course, it would be."

"Will you lie with me and begin our journey of discovery, my Samantha? Begin our learning, so that eventually, perhaps, we can know one another more intimately than we will at this point in time?" He asked, his eyes, compelling, and his voice softly pleading, seductive, and enticing.

Sam was torn. God, she wanted to lie with him. But, what if things moved too fast? What if desire flared between them and burned out of control? What if she gave in and made love with this man? She didn't even know him, did she? What did she want? Need? Desire?

Him. She wanted to know him, and not just in the mental sense and emotional sense. She wanted to know him in the physical sense. So what if things moved fast? So what if desire flared out of control? Did it really matter if she made love to them?

She watched him as he leaned against the pillows and watched her patiently. He was not pressuring her. He wasn't even suggesting a physical mating between them, yet. He, they wanted her, but were willing to wait for her to get to know them and make a decision. They were willing to wait for her to realize that they were her mates. She repeated that to herself. _They were her mates_. She knew it on a deep inner level. She could feel it, calling her, pulling her. The tug of desire was beginning to burn in her.

She had lived with regret from the day they died. From the moment she fired the zat, she had wished she could relive the time they had known one another. Regret had been a bedfellow for a very long time now. Standing, she walked to the door and locked it. She stood leaning her forehead against it, for a moment, then straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin she turned back to face the bed.

She never wanted to live with that feeling again. If anything went wrong on this mission, she didn't want to look back and once again feel that way. She wouldn't take that chance, as she had the last time. Perhaps, they wouldn't make love now, but sometime before the mission, she was going to make this man hers. Whether it was now, or later, this man, no, _these men_, for she loved Lantash just as much as she loved Martouf, would belong to her in every sense before the next day or so was over. For once in her life, she was going to give herself what she needed, wanted, and desired.

Walking back to the bed, she sat down and took her boots off. As she started to unbutton her shirt, Lantash came forward. "Samantha?" He questioned her actions, wanting, needing, to understand what she was thinking and meaning by her actions. He would take no more than she offered willingly. He wished her to be sure, when the time came for them to mate.

"I'm not going to live with regret again, Lantash. It's a bitter thing. I don't want to make love to you, now, at this point in time. I think I will very soon, but not just yet. I don't think you want that either, really. Not yet, anyway. But I do want to lie with you and start to learn who you are. I want to find out if you and I, could be us. That's to begin with. And, once we find out who we are apart, then I want to know who we are together. I don't know if it will mean a physical mating, but I want to find out. And I want to start finding out now."

Lantash's eyes flared, and then became heavy lidded and a seductive, but sweet smile curled his lips. She caught her breath, realizing what a dangerous man he was to her. He could seduce her with his smile. And she would let him. "Then come to me, my Samantha, and we shall begin our journey of discovery together, just the three of us."

As Sam stretched out next to him, he reached out, pulled her close, and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "Relax, Samantha, we will do nothing, but lie together and talk, for now. Just the feel of you in our arms is a balm to our spirit. How often we have longed to hold you just one more time," Lantash murmured, his voice deeply husky with suppressed emotion.

Slowly her arms moved around his waist to hold them. How often she had dreamed of this, ached to do this. Suddenly she was crying. For them, and for what had never had a chance to be born between them. For all the regrets and longing that had haunted her for so long. He seemed to understand, as he simply held her and stroked her hair, murmuring softly, words she didn't know, but didn't need to know. As her tears slowed, and she relaxed, spent, and drained at last of much of the bitterness of her loss, she felt him pull back and lean away from her. A handful of tissues were put into her hand, and she smiled, and then laughed slightly.

Oh, yes, this was her Martouf and Lantash. Wiping her eyes and blowing her nose before tossing the tissues toward the wastebasket, she turned back to this being that had meant so much to her and wound her arms around his neck, stroking Lantash, as she had always wanted to do. Lifting her face, she watched as his mouth came toward hers. She held her breath, as his lips feathered across hers. Sighing, she closed her eyes. Oh, yes, heaven was only a breath away.

* * *

"So, what do we have? Did anyone come up with a logical and believable reason, as to just _why_ we aren't returning? We've already used the excuse of illness of one of the people we were meeting with, as the reason we didn't return on time once. Which was sorta, almost true. Well?" Jacob asked the group sitting around the conference table. Thirty minutes of thinking, and no one had come up with a good enough excuse, as far as he was concerned. Teal'c and Daniel hadn't been available, so they were on their own, for the time being.

"Perhaps we could say the General was called away?" Malek asked.

"We'd be told to return to the base, and come back when he was available," Jacob replied. "Come on. I gave you thirty minutes to think; surely, you came up with something plausible."

Jacob looked up as General Hammond came into the room. "How's it coming, Jake?"

Jacob scowled. "Well, if we don't come up with a plan any faster or better, for getting Egeria, than we are for our excuse to Garshaw for not returning, we're going to fail straight out of the chute."

"Well, I contacted Garshaw, and explained that we had a mission where we needed the Tok'Ra, due to the fact that we were going to need someone who could impersonate a minor System Lord and his entourage."

"And she agreed? Just like that? Jacob asked, his disbelief obvious.

"Er, well no, not exactly, at least at first, but that's when I told her that the prisoner was someone very dear to you, Jacob. When she asked to speak to you, I, ah, took the liberty of telling her that, basically, you had requested that I contact her, and explain about the mission, so actually, I wasn't contacting them to ask, I was simply informing her that you had all agreed to the rescue, and hoped to return, within a couple of weeks. I, ah, also, took the initiative and explained that Malek and Anise had both felt that time was of the essence, and that there wasn't time to return to the Tok'Ra base, if you wanted to get the prisoner out alive."

Jacob sighed. "Well, we need to be sure we let Sam know she was a prisoner, for a while."

"I, ah, didn't actually tell her it was Major Carter, Jacob. I said someone dear to you, and I assume that the Queen of the Tok'Ra is dear to all of you. Moreover, she _is_ a prisoner of a System Lord. Ergo: I '_did not'_ tell so much as one lie. It's hardly '_my_' fault she heard only that which she expected to hear," General Hammond, stated self-righteously…but his lips were twitching, and there was a certain gleam in his eyes that spoke of a deep amusement.

Jacob shook his head, but he, too was smiling, as he responded, "Remind me to always read between the lines, when you tell me something, George."

George Hammond finally let it out, and he grinned, "Now, maybe you can stop trying to figure out _'how'_ to play hooky and start making plans for what you're going to _'do'_ while you're out of school."

Jacob nodded, and opened his mouth to request the attendance of at least three of the members of SG-1, when Selmak came forward to say, "I wish to thank you, General Hammond. Your intervention is both timely and ingenious. By taking the opportunity for us to speak to her away, you have removed a very large hurdle from our path. It is truly greatly appreciated."

He paused, but only for a moment, before he explained what he had arranged, saying, "I have requested that Martouf and Lantash rest for now, as the aftereffects of the fever can be quite debilitating, and rest helps to overcome them more quickly. I am afraid that the stresses of this morning's debriefing and interrogation have caused them to become rather more acute, although he would not admit to it. That, of course, was no more than I expected."

"Having myself been in his position twice, I am quite familiar with what he is experiencing, and am able to read the signs, without him admitting to them, or telling me. It is nothing that several well-spaced periods of rest will not clear up; however, since it is imperative that we have his information, which will be critical to our success, he will need to be in optimum condition, for this mission."

"If it would be acceptable, I would like to request Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, and Teal'c for a planning session later on this afternoon. Is it possible that they could or might be available?"

The General nodded briefly, explaining, "Dr. Jackson has to conduct a briefing for SG-10 in a little less than an hour, but it shouldn't last more than an hour or so. Say, two hours from now? Would that be acceptable?" General Hammond asked.

"Of course, and in the meantime, we will begin to go over the information we have, to see what we can come up with ahead of time, as well as start listing the supplies we are sure we will need," Selmak stated before pausing. Then looking squarely at George Hammond, he continued, stoically, "I requested that Major Carter stay with Lantash to insure he did not have any problems. I will collect them, when it is time for the planning session to begin."

George Hammond's lips once again twitched, but he said, equally solemnly, "That will be fine, and I'll contact Dr. Jackson and Teal'c, to insure they are here at the correct time."

"Thank you, General Hammond; it would be very much appreciated," Selmak assured him.

As the General left the room, Selmak became aware of his disgruntled host sputtering in his head, _"Thank you, General, for pretending, you have no idea what I am doing. Thank you, General, for acting, as if you believe every word I am saying to you. Thank you, General, for turning a blind eye and allowing my daughter to be seduced, while we all sit around and wait for it to happen,"_ Jacob ranted loudly in their shared minds.

_"Nonsense, Jacob. Martouf and Lantash will not seduce your daughter, unless she wishes them to. In which case, it really is none of our business. Now, we really do need to start planning the mission. There are things that we, as Tok'Ra, will need to be prepared to know and do, and we may as well get that part decided, before we meet with the rest of the group. Do you wish to take over the meeting? You are welcome to, as long as you do not try to sneak away and check on Samantha and Martouf."_

_"You know, Sel, the next time we wake up, and you've allowed us to have a very vivid sexually oriented dream? You know the ones I mean, the ones you really seem to enjoy the most, where your host was that hot-blooded Jason? And your mate was Etheria, possibly the most seductive woman I have ever seen? I think, that the next time that happens, I'll remedy it with a nice long COLD bath, or maybe I'll just put my head under the cold water that is piped into the baths, and I'll let it soak you long and well," _ With those words, Jacob's head snapped forward.

_"Jacob! When did you learn to do that?" _ Selmak demanded, as his head began to ache from within where Jacob had just mentally slapped him in the back of the head.

_"I learned from the master head-thumper, Sel. Congratulations, you've just taught me something else."_

It was the first time he'd ever heard his symbiote sputter.

TBC


	6. Making Plans 6 WDL

**_Chapter Six Summary: _**_Sam and Martouf/Lantash spend some time alone. Then they attend the meeting to start planning their mission. Jack invites them all to a 'hockey night'. _

**_Rating:_** _Has been censored for posting on T rating. _ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works. My web address is in my bio.

**_Amek'tel kek'ma'tel – _**_Brain fever brought on by use of a ribbon devise with no time to heal the damage before it is used again._

**_Italics -_**_ host/symbiote communication_

* * *

**_Where Destiny Leads_**

**_Chapter 6_**

**_Making Plans_**

* * *

Sam groaned and arched her back. Tremors ran down the length of her body as his hands did things to it that had her on fire. She continued to stroke the back of his neck even as she realized that if they did not stop soon, they would not stop at all.

"Samantha, we must stop before we take this to the inevitable conclusion. Please, _my dearest love, please stop_, for you are torturing me," Lantash whispered. Then reaching up, he removed one of her hands from the back of their neck, where she was stroking him, and the other from between their bodies. As he held them, he could feel trembling, but he was not sure if it was from her, from him, or from them both.

He heard her moan, as she rolled away from them. Reaching out with trembling fingers, he helped her straighten her clothing. Sitting up and straightening his own with hands that were still shaking, he sat, breathing deeply, before he got up, unlocked the door, and then leaned against it for a moment.

Straightening, he walked back to the bed and sat on the edge for a moment, watching her as she watched him, before lying back down. They had talked and loved, and talked some more. And, the more they talked, the more similarities they found between the people they were now and the people they had known before. Reclining, he pulled her unresisting into his arms and began to stroke her arm in a soothing, calming way. He had always calmed her in this way, and it worked now, as it always had, for it soothed both of them.

As first their breathing, and then their bodies calmed, they began to relax more. Sam watched him as his eyelids drooped and he fell into a fitful doze. Rolling onto her side, she snuggled into his body where he lay on his side, facing her. His arms came back around her, pulling her in to fit snuggly against him, gently cradling her body, before he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. _Dear god, his body was wonderful as it molded to hers_ was the last thought she had before she, too, drifted off into a relaxed, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Neither heard the knock on the door.

_"Now, what, Sel? No answer. I really don't want to walk in there and get the shock of my life."_

_"I believe, Jacob, that if they were doing what you suspect, the door would be locked."_

_"Humph. Well, then, try it."_

The doorknob turned and suddenly, Jacob found himself both deaf and blind. _"Sel? Selmak? What are you doing?"_ Jacob demanded as his eyesight and hearing returned.

_"Just in case, I decided to spare you something that, in truth, neither of us should see, Jacob, but which would, no doubt, be traumatic for you. An unnecessary precaution, as it turns out."_

Looking toward the bed, Jacob realized that the couple cuddled in the center of the bed was fully clothed and sound asleep. Both of them. As they moved closer, he realized that his daughter had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and slightly red-lidded.

_"What do you think that he did to her?"_ Jacob demanded.

_"He is breathing, warm, and very much alive, Jacob. Think about it. Samantha has lived with the memories of Martouf and Lantash's death, at her hands, for a very long time. She never had the chance to be alone and held by him, to be loved by him, to even know if he loved her in that way. Can you not imagine the regret and aching, longing, to relive that period of her life, that she has lived with for all these years? I would imagine that just the fact of being held in his arms, was enough to release all the pain, bitterness, and regret locked away in her heart, and allowed her to wash some of it away with her tears. Would you not think so, Jacob?" _

_"Sel?"_

_"Yes, Jacob?"_

_"I love you, y'know? Thank you."_

_"Yes, Jacob, I am aware, as I love you, dear one."_

Clearing a metaphorical throat, he said,_ "So, now what?"_

Selmak sighed. _"Martouf and Lantash need the rest. I am guessing that they have not been asleep long. They have talked and probably did everything except mate. No doubt that will have to wait for tonight. Do not start sputtering, ranting, or being ridiculous, Jacob. They will declare and bond first; I am sure. It is not your "marriage," but it is just as binding, and means the same thing."_

_"All right. And if they want to marry, then George can do a civil ceremony. But that doesn't tell us what to do now."_

_"If we try to remove Samantha, it will wake them. I suggest we leave them a note and go to the meeting without them. They can join us when they awaken. It is too bad, for we need Lantash and Martouf there, but they need the rest, also. They must be in good physical condition for this mission. I suspect, as I stated before, that none of them were in good condition when they attempted this before."_

As they turned to look for paper and pen to leave a note, Lantash opened his eyes, and said softly, "I am awake, Selmak. Are you ready for us to attend a meeting now?" Sam stirred in his arms, and he looked down to smile at her as she came slowly awake. Leaning down, he took her lips in a soft, sweet kiss. "You are awake, my love. It is time for the meeting to begin planning our mission."

Sam smiled at him as she reveled in the feeling of waking in his arms. Oh, yes, she would be waking in them again, she promised herself. She had her second chance, and she wasn't going to lose it.

This was Martouf and Lantash, returned to her. It was there in everything about them. Their physical likeness was exact and from what she could tell, they were almost exact replicas in every way, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Right down to the obsession for cinnamon twist and chocolate glazed doughnuts that Martouf had developed shortly after being introduced to them by her dad.

It had formed an immediate bond between Martouf and Teal'c, and she was quite sure that once Martouf realized that this Teal'c shared his love of the gooey pastries, it would bond these two, too. She hoped that she was there when Martouf realized that they shared it.

"What are you thinking about, Samantha? You are smiling quite widely," Martouf said, as they put their boots on.

"Doughnuts," she said.

"Doughnuts?" He asked, incredulous.

"Cinnamon twists and chocolate glazed, to be exact," she replied.

Martouf shook his head. He would never understand her mind. Never.

* * *

"So, we go back to the planet where we found Martouf and hope the mirror hasn't changed stations, er, realities. It does that sometimes, though, right? So how will we know if we are at the right one?" Jacob asked.

"We'll have to match up the destruction that you all saw and hope for the best. It changed on Daniel when they went through it that time, but it doesn't always, from what I could discover when I experimented with ours," Sam answered. "They are impossible to destroy from what we discovered when we tried to do so with ours. We ended up putting an iris on it and it's under guard twenty-four seven, in case anyone ever manages to make it through. Sometimes I think we shouldn't have put the iris on it. Just like with Lantash and Martouf, it could be a life saver."

"That is neither here nor there. For our purposes, finding where we need to go from here could be very time consuming, and possibly, we could choose wrong. No doubt, other realities out there are very similar to that one. I hope Martouf and Lantash were as lucky in those," she said sadly, before pushing herself back into scientist mode. "As I was saying, from the experiments that I performed, just because it was shut off, it didn't automatically change realities. If it did, they were usually very close by on the dial."

"So, we go there and find the reality first. Anise said that the contaminants in the air are almost completely gone, so it would be safe, even for a non-blended human, to be there for up to a week. Their original estimate of twenty-four hours was based on what they assumed that they would find, and it turns out that it was destroyed much longer ago than first thought. So, particularly if the people stay inside, it's safe for at least that long. If we haven't returned in a week, they are to abandon the camp and we'll have to make it back on our own. They'll leave the articles we agreed upon sitting in front of the mirror for identification purposes."

"Since we're going in as a Minor System Lord and his entourage, those of us that are unblended, will go as slaves. Teal'c will go as Apophis's first prime. Hopefully, he'll have no problem with cascade failure. If he does, then he will return immediately. We've managed to get a fake beard and wig, and they are being attached now to see how well they work. We can't have them coming loose. From what I've been told, they won't come off easily." She looked at Martouf and said, "I also hope that the beard and wig won't make him seem too much like the other Teal'c."

He shook his head. "I have no doubt it will be a shock, however, I also know that they are different in the most important respects. I have noticed that even his tone of voice is somewhat different."

They looked up to see a Teal'c in full braided wig and beard come into the room. She heard Martouf catch his breath, but when she looked at him, he was smiling slightly. "They followed my description very well, Teal'c. You could be the other one, except for the BDU's."

Teal'c bowed and smiled slightly in response. "That is what I had hoped, and Jorlin was a great help, since she saw him, and she was able to give very precise instructions as they worked on the braiding. Once she began, though, I recognized it as a form of embellishment used to denote his leadership in his village group, as well as his position. In my reality, Apophis wished me to renounce my tribal alliances, which I did. So, we find another difference between us. An odd one, though, in that it should mean that he has kept loyalties beyond those he has to Apophis. The gods did not always realize that this was so, unfortunately for me, this Apophis did."

Martouf nodded his agreement. He was no longer amazed at how much the people here resembled the ones he had known, but this transformation of Teal'c was, if nothing else, startling. He found himself wondering how different this Teal'c's life had been, compared to the one in his old reality. It must have been very different once he reached adulthood, if not before.

He was brought out of his reverie by Jacob's voice asking a question of Anise. One side affect of the _Amek'tel kek'ma'tel _was a slight difficulty in remaining focused. His mind tended to wander. At least it was not wandering to the soft lushness of Samantha's body.

_"Well, it was not until now, Martouf,"_ Lantash said, exasperated.

_"Are you having as much difficulty focusing as I am?"_ Martouf wanted to know.

_"I am having some difficulty, but perhaps not as much as you are,"_ Lantash responded.

_"Then you should take over," _Martouf replied quickly." _We cannot take the chance of missing something important because our minds are wandering."_

_"I am being distracted by everything, too, Martouf. Normally, I can ignore your thoughts if I wish to, but they are making themselves known very easily today. I do not seem to be able to block them. No doubt you are having the same problem?"_ Lantash asked.

_"Yes. I am."_

Lantash sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing them briefly. He opened them to see the entire room looking at him. He sighed again.

"I apologize. Both Martouf and I are having some difficulty with concentrating. What were you saying?" Lantash asked calmly.

Selmak came forward, saying, "It is one of the more annoying side affects. Fortunately, it only lasts for a day or so. By tomorrow, you will be able to concentrate better. By the next day, you will be almost back to normal. If you miss something, let us know and we will repeat it. And do not bother to apologize each time it happens. We are all aware of what you have endured and the aftereffects of it."

"Thank you, Selmak. We will. So, what was it you were asking me?"

"We were discussing who we could take from the SGC. If cascade failure should strike Teal'c, he will need assistance in returning through the mirror. It will not strike for about 48 hours, this we know from experience," Selmak repeated what had been said.

"Yes, you said you had other experiences with this mirror. If all goes well, we should be able to be on the planet in question within the first day. Depending on how difficult it is to find her, we could be there and back within that time frame," Lantash said, frowning over how sparse the details of their Intel was.

"I am afraid our Intel was simply that she was in stasis somewhere within the main stronghold. He could not send detailed instructions and since we did not get to go right away, the young man in question may or may not still be there. However, knowing that things can and probably will go wrong, it would be well to have a contingency plan in place, in case that happens."

Sam spoke up, saying, "Teal'c is no longer an exact replica, but I'm doubtful that the change will be enough to prevent the cascade failure. When all is said and done, at the sub-atomic level, he is still the same person. We know very little about it, other than what we observed. It took about forty-eight hours for it to begin for the Dr. Carter that came through to us here."

"What we don't know is whether she began to have it when she did because she was in the same time and space as I was, or if it was because she was in such close proximity to me. While it's true that it was forty-eight hours, it's also true that for most of that time, she wasn't near me and the cascade failure didn't begin until she was here."

"If distance makes a difference and the two Teal'cs aren't in close proximity to one another, there's the possibility that between the two things, distance and the slight difference in their make-up, with our Teal'c using the tretonin and lacking a symbiote, I'm hopeful that we will be safe for a while. I'm also hoping, though, that we can get in and get out before anything happens. Either way, we need to have extra people with us, in case Teal'c has to return in a hurry," Sam explained her theories, ideas, and hopes.

"Lantash, I know you haven't been around a great many people here yet, but is there anyone that you recognize as definitely being deceased in the other reality?" She asked softly.

"Several actually. Lieutenant Donovan is deceased in my old reality and so is Captain Harmon. There was a young man that I saw earlier in the cafeteria," he frowned as he concentrated on remembering the names, as Sam made notes, "Sergeant Richards, I believe was his name, and the young woman seated within the same group, Alice Wayman. Sergeant Alice Wayman. The remainder of the group that they were with, as far as I know survived, although there were one or two that I have never seen before."

Sam nodded and said to Selmak, "That would give us four. Two of them could return with Teal'c, and two to continue with us. Do you think we'll need more?"

Selmak frowned. "There are five of us, plus Teal'c. That is six of us and six of you. That is not a lot when you are talking entourage, so if we can find a few more, it would be helpful. Samantha, you will be Lantash's personal _lo'tar_. Daniel, you will belong to Anise, Lieutenant Donovan will belong to Malek, and, assuming they get along well together, Sergeant Richards will belong to Jorlin. We already know that the rest of you all get along well."

"You will all answer to me as the System Lord. The fact that I will have satellites that are hosts will be cause to assume I am more important than they otherwise would. I will need at least one personal servant, preferably more, so I will take Captain Harmon and Sergeant Wayman. That gives me both a male and a female attendant. We need to find a couple more, so that there will be enough to cover if two of them have to return with Teal'c," Selmak continued. "If you see anyone else that would work you need to let us know, Lantash."

"Anise and I can share Dr. Jackson," Jorlin said quietly, while Daniel's eyes got round. Sam choked, trying not to giggle, as the vision that Jorlin's words brought to mind refused to dissipate and Daniel, catching her eye, blushed an even deeper red, as he frowned at her, before his own sense of humor took over, and he grinned back at her.

Selmak hid a smile, commenting, "We also need another _lo'tar_ for Martouf and Lantash. It is possible that if we run into any Jaffa they will pick up the remnants of Jolinar in Major Carter. He will, therefore, appear more important than the others, and it would not be unheard of for him to have more than one personal slave."

"Captain Adams. I saw her at noon, and there was another friend of Sergeant Wayman's who joined their group later. Both of them were killed." He paused as he gave it some thought, before finally coming up with the name. "His name was – Milton, Sergeant Milton," Lantash said, as he finally remembered both names of the other two people he had recognized earlier, as being deceased in his old reality.

"Good," Selmak said. "I will take Captain Adams, Captain Harmon, and Sergeant Wayman. Lantash will take Sergeant Milton and Samantha. If need be, we can send two people back with Teal'c and still all have at least one _lo'tar _each."

"The only problem left that I can see with our entourage is the fact that someone could recognize Lantash. We will hope that no one recognizes him as the Tok'Ra that escaped. If we are unfortunate and someone does recognize him, we will hope they simply believe that they have seen him, but do not remember where. And the clothing will be completely different. We will need very sumptuous clothing and the slaves will also need certain things. Once we get the agreement of the others taking part, Jorlin, you, Lieutenant Donovan if she is available, and Malek will go to the bazaar on Martinel and purchase what we will need, both for the _lo'tars_ and for the rest of us. Be sure that you have everyone's measurements."

Jorlin and Malek nodded, and Sam felt herself flush slightly. Good grief, she was going on this mission as a slave girl, and from what she could remember, the slave girls didn't seem to wear much. Great, she was going to look like an escapee from _I Dream Of Jeannie_. She looked up into Lantash's eyes and saw a fire burning there that heated her face even more. He knew what she was thinking, she realized, and he was looking forward to it. Oddly enough, she realized, as her breathing became erratic, so was she. She couldn't seem to pull her mind from the _training_ that would need to take place, or the fact that she would be his personal servant for several days…and nights.

She needed to have a word with Lieutenant Donovan to be sure that the clothing, for her at least, was definitely _Dream_ worthy. She forced herself to concentrate on what Lantash was saying, but found herself wondering how he could talk coherently at all, if he was suffering through the same visions that she was. Slowly she brought her breathing under control, along with her runaway imagination.

She brought her mind back to the briefing to hear Lantash explaining why he doubted that he would be recognized. "That would be unlikely, Selmak. The world the mirror was on was not the one where Apophis had captured us. I had made it through, but was followed. The world I was on appeared deserted, much as the one I ended up on after going through the mirror, but I cannot be certain that it was. I had no idea what world Selmak had keyed in, but I am sure it was not our final destination, as he would also assume we would be followed. Looking back, none of us were thinking clearly. We had no way to get from where we were to where we needed to be with Apophis's Jaffa following us so closely," Lantash said sadly.

Selmak nodded, watching as Lantash wearily rubbed his forehead. He was still having headaches. They would do a little more today, and then start fresh in the morning.

"Does anyone have any opinions as to how soon we should try to do this? Originally, I had planned on going through the day after tomorrow, but my personal opinion now is that we should have at least two to three days of training for the soldiers that are going to be assuming the roles of _lo'tars_. They will need to be perfect in the roles, and we have not talked to the people involved. While I know that George could order them to do it, I would rather they were willing participants, otherwise they will not play their parts nearly as well. Besides the training, it will take most of one day to gather the clothing that we require and our other supplies."

"I'll give the list we have so far to George and see what he says. Malek, can you ask Lieutenant Donovan if she is willing?"

"Certainly, Selmak. I feel sure she will agree. She has been assigned to me several times now, when we have been here on previous occasions, and we have become friends," Malek responded clearly.

"All right, so shall we plan on going through on the morning of the fourth day? That will give us three days for planning, gathering of supplies, clothing, and training. You have several ribbon devices, do you not, Samantha?"

"I believe we have two ribbons and the _ashrak_ device that - that Martouf and Lantash attempted to use. I also have a couple of healing devices. If you think we need more, we probably have some at Area 51."

"One for myself and one for Lantash. Any more than that might seem odd, anyway. One of us can carry the other one concealed, as they are very small. If there is nothing else today, I think we can all go about getting started on what we need to be doing; I will conference with General Hammond."

"Selmak, I believe that I should give you all the address and what information I have. If something were to happen to me, you would possibly be able to complete the mission, even without me." Picking up a pen and paper, he wrote out a gate address and handed it to Selmak.

"Egeria is being held on this world. She is, as far as we know, in stasis. Do you know it?" Lantash asked.

Selmak looked at the address and shook his head before handing it to Daniel, who looked at it and then looked at Lantash.

"Are you sure that Ra was still in evidence on this planet? He still went there regularly?"

"Yes, the information we got was from a young slave known as Macus. He sent the message from there as soon as Apophis had defeated Ra. Why do you ask?"

"Because we know this world, and we also know that Egeria was there. Hopefully, if everything is the same, I will know exactly where to go to look for her." Daniel replied.

"Where is it, Daniel?" Sam asked tensely.

"Pangara. Exactly where she was in our reality, but in this one, she is still in stasis. In ours, she was found years ago. If they hadn't used her for breeding and had kept her in optimum conditions, she would have been viable still in this reality."

"So we now know for sure that this is indeed Egeria, and that she is viable," Malek said, his voice slightly uneven with emotion. It had been very hard on him to watch Kelmaa and Egeria die, when they had just found her again. At least she had given freedom to those like Teal'c, and reaffirmed the cause for which they were striving and fighting.

"I don't think there's any doubt whatsoever. In this reality, Ra had abandoned that world hundreds of years ago. Yet, in Lantash's old reality, he was still using it as a pleasure palace. It means the people of Pangara are not free, but it also means they haven't found her either. If the slave boy knew about her, then she must still be there and in stasis. It seems that some parts of our realities are very divergent, and that's in our favor," Daniel pointed out.

He was sure that they'd find Egeria in stasis, intact, and much younger than the one they'd found here. Although their years would be the same, the Egeria in stasis would have aged little, if any. The only reason that the Egeria in this reality had aged so quickly was because she'd been used to breed thousands of symbiotes and the Pangarans hadn't realized exactly what kind of environment she needed. They'd kept her alive, but she hadn't had the nutrients or the EM fields that she needed to thrive.

"We'll still have to find her, Daniel. Ra hid her in her stasis jar before he abandoned the planet. He hadn't yet abandoned it, so there's no telling where he was keeping her," Sam pointed out.

Daniel and Malek frowned. All of them had seen the chamber that Egeria was found in. There was no palace stronghold there. It had been deserted and fallen down long ago.

"She is right, Daniel," Malek spoke up. "Everything we learned about Egeria and her situation in this reality could well be useless."

"That could be very true, or it could be that he buried her recently and that is how the young man found out about her, too. We'll just have to wait, see, and be prepared to tear the place apart looking for her."

Since everyone pretty much was in agreement with those statements, they all murmured their affirmatives. Lantash turned to Daniel and said, "Daniel, if you and the others have any spare time, I would appreciate learning more of this reality's timeline and history. Both the Tau'ri's and the Tok'Ra's."

"I'm free for a couple of hours, Lantash, and I'd be happy to fill you in," Daniel replied, never happier than when he could talk shop.

"I, too, am free, Lantash," Anise spoke up. No one could dispute that she would be the most knowledgeable in the history department.

"Thank you. I would appreciate being brought up to date on how things have been here."

_"Stop moaning, Martouf, we must have this information."_

_"I know. But history is not my favorite topic, and you know how Daniel and Anise can go on forever."_

_"We will not allow that to happen, dear one. We will plead fatigue and loss of concentration before we become comatose, I promise."_

_"All right. Since you promise. I would rather be tangled in the …"_

_"Not now, Martouf,"_ Lantash groaned as he once again had to divert blood flow to keep them both from being embarrassed when they stood.

"All right. We all know what we need to do. Jacob and I will talk to General Hammond, and see if all of these people agree to this mission. Lantash, please look around, and see if there are any others you recognize as deceased in your world, in case any of these people do not feel comfortable taking on this mission. After you meet with Daniel and Anise, I suggest you eat and then try to relax for a while. Then I expect you to have an early night. You need to be resting, even if you cannot sleep. Anything that will relax you will help you with the aftereffects of _Amek'tel kek'ma'tel._ Samantha?" Selmak looked to her and raised an eyebrow, adding a silent ending to his question, as Jacob again sputtered in his head.

"Of course, Selmak. That won't be a problem. If he can't sleep, he can tell me what I'll need to know for the role I'll be playing, or perhaps we'll spend some time in the rec room. I'll watch over him."

Selmak nodded and turned to Malek, Anise, and Jorlin. "I know Sergeant Richards, Selmak. If he agrees to the assignment, I can begin going over things with him," Jorlin spoke up.

"Good. That should do it for today then, unless anyone has anything else to add?"

Getting no response, he headed out the door in search of General Hammond, almost running over Jack O'Neill where he was standing in the corridor.

"Did you need something, Colonel?"

"Yeah, I was planning on getting my team, and maybe Martouf and Malek and anyone else that wanted to, and maybe watching some hockey," Jack declared unflinchingly.

Selmak smiled. "I believe that is a wonderful idea, Colonel. However, Martouf is to go to his quarters early, as are the rest of my people. We have a great deal to do tomorrow, so don't keep them up late, if you please," Selmak said agreeably. He could see Jack's relief at the thought of an early night.

"Sure thing, Selmak. I wouldn't think of keeping them up late. Thanks." Great! He could do as the General asked, but not have to keep it up for long. Perfect. As the group left the conference room, he looked at Daniel and Teal'c. He'd told them earlier that the General wanted them to make nice with the Tok'Ra and that he planned a hockey night.

Both had groaned, but agreed to help him out. It didn't take them long to arrange to meet everyone after the evening meal. The Tok'Ra had all looked at him oddly, but none had refused the invitation, no doubt realizing that he was doing as he had been instructed to do. And besides, it would be interesting to watch him watch Martouf.

After accepting the invitation, Malek decided that he would invite Lieutenant Donovan, Kathryn. No doubt, Anise would stalk Daniel, and Jorlin seemed to be getting along well with Teal'c. Major Carter and Martouf would be circumspect during the _game;_ he was sure. After all, what could you do in a room full of people other than watch the entertainment? Afterwards, well, that was anyone's guess. However, Malek knew where he hoped it might end.

He might give Kathryn her first lesson in pleasuring her _lord_. Or, she might give him his second lesson in what a Tau'ri woman meant when she said he was _hot._ He had enjoyed the first lesson very much, even if it had not culminated in the ending that he had envisioned. He would work on being _hot_ for her tonight. She was certainly _hot_ to him. Just thinking about her was enough to make Malek work overtime to try to curb their shared body's responses. It was time to think about something else. Hockey, perhaps, whatever that was.

TBC


	7. No Regrets 7 WDL

___**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise _

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works.My web address is in my bio.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

**

* * *

**

_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter 7**_

_**No Regrets**_

* * *

Martouf and Devlin stared at the _TV_ screen when they weren't watching Jack O'Neill become excited and scream at it. They were still not exactly clear on why these humans were chasing a little black circle around a floor of ice and beating it, and each other, with sticks, but the Colonel appeared to believe that it was the height of entertainment. So much so, that he had forgotten to watch Martouf. 

In fact, he hadn't even noticed when Major Carter had yawned, shook her head, and stated that she was really tired, and was, therefore, leaving. Nor had he noticed when, very shortly afterwards, Lt. Kathryn Donovan had glanced at her watch and exclaimed that it was really getting late, look at that; nine o'clock. Wow. She'd see them all tomorrow for the shopping expedition.

She had given Devlin's thigh a final couple of pats, a few circular rubs, ever higher, and a slight squeeze, before she excused herself. Needless to say, Malek was grumbling, although no one could hear him but Dev. Where her strong, but feminine, hand had patted, rubbed, and squeezed him, it felt as if his thigh, among other things, was on fire. Losing interest in watching O'Neill, his mind wandered back to the beginning of the evening.

They had been sitting to one side and slightly away from the group. She had started torturing him shortly after the lights had gone out by, oh so unobtrusively, running her fingers in lazy patterns on his arm, his leg, and even occasionally, hischest. Then, as he realized that nothing was going to take the Colonel's attention from that screen, he had put his arm around her, allowing his fingers to make their own forays against her skin.

He had stroked her arm and his hand had found its way under her shirt, his fingers finding the softness of her and rubbing lazy circles.

He had never known how erotic it was to sit in a darkened room full of people, and caress a woman so carefully that no one noticed what you were doing. No sudden moves, no obvious grasping, no moans could be allowed to escape your lips, nor could your lips be used to pleasure both her and yourself, as you were aching to do.

He had continued to caress her and kiss her lightly on the neck and lips. He could feel her tremble and he knew she wanted him.He had been smug about what he was doing to her, feeling the shivering that affirmed she desired more of him than she was getting. He felt sure that by the end of the evening, she would follow him anywhere, and of course, anywhere, included his sleeping quarters.

When she could take no more of what he was doing, she had shifted to where her side was against himand he had less access to tease her.He was disappointed, but accepting of her decision, knowing it would take little to bring the embers back to life. He could stillcaress her, but not as well; he had to be a little more circumspect in his touches.

Then things had gone from very warm to _hot_ as she had placed her head on his shoulder and reaching up with her hand, discovered that she could arouse Malek by rubbing him through Devlin's neck. He had realized that she could see Samantha doing this to Lantash. Normally, her touch on Malek would not have done this so quickly, but his senses were heightened by what was already going on, and Malek had responded immediately to her touch.

The first time she had touched him in that way and he had quivered, she had pulled her hand back, startled. Then fascinated, she had done it again, and watched as Dev had clamped his lips against the moan as he trembled slightly, along with Malek. He knew that she had realized then, that not only Devlin, but also Malek, could be pleasured, and that touching one of them, aroused both of them.

So, she had stroked Malek andkissedand caressed Devlin until she wasdrivingthem quietly insane, as he had done to her minutes earlier. She had enough sense and willpower to move away from his fingers when they became too much. Dev and Malek did not seem to be able to gather the resources needed to do that. What was the Tau'ri expression that he had heard Jacob use? Paybacks were hell. Netu, he had decided, had nothing on this, for pure torture.

He had ached to be able to lay himself out for her hands to explore, but, of course, he could not, and the occasional shout from O'Neill at the screen was enough to keep him grounded. It was the only thing keeping him grounded.

She must have sensed his inability to force himself to move from her for she leaned away from him.He hadn't known whether to moan in relief that the torture was over, or because he didn't want it to stop. She had leaned up, lightly nipped the side of his throat, and then flicked it with her tongue as she pressed firmly along Malek.

It was all he could do to stop himself from kissing her senseless or jumping from the couch and carrying her from the room. Last night she had been on duty and left him aching with need. Tonight, she had simply called a halt when things were nearing the out of control stage and walked away from him before one or both of them embarrassed themselves. He was grateful for that, at least. He would never have been able to live down the episode if he had so far forgotten himself. Malek, well, Malek would have been mortified.

Her decision to leave the room had been both a shock and a relief. He had only had time to ask softly, "My room?" She had smiled at him as she stood, and said, "I'll think about it, but it is getting late." His look had promised retaliation if she was doing anything but teasing him by that answer. The sardonic look she had sent him, had said plainly that he should assume nothing; she did not belong to him.

By that point, it had been all he could do to keep from groaning loudly and following her from the room, to either try to convince her to come to his room or to simply carry her off and have his way with her, he was not sure which. He wondered if pleading would work. The thought shocked him into immobility. Never before had a woman brought him to the point of even considering so lowering himself.

He was a diversion for her, he realized, and it was a new experience for him. Most women that he had actively pursued had been only too willing to bed him. He wasn't sure how to respond to her and her refusal to do so. He had, he realized, made no promises, but expected her to capitulate and bed him regardless. He was finding that the Tau'ri did not work that way. They had aroused one another, but that did not, in her way of looking at things anyway, automatically give him the right to any more of her body than she had already given.

He decided that insanity was not far off if this kept up. Then he groaned to himself, realizing that she had been assigned as his _lo'tar_, and that by definition of her subservience to him, he could not take advantage of her position. He'd be lucky to survive this mission, not because of the dangers involved, but because of one blue-eyed, blonde, Tau'ri.

He was certainly getting an education about the term _hot_. He had thought she had shown him _hot_ last night. However, last night, as _hot_ as it had been, was nothing compared to sitting in this crowded room, knowing what was within easy reach, but which he could not access because of where they were.

Jacob had not done the term justice. He had not mentioned that it was not only a description of someone you were attracted to, but also, the way it made one _feel_. And, in that way, there was no doubt that he was indeed _hot_. If he and Malek got any _hotter,_ they would either be perspiring, unheard of in the normal course of events, or they would instantaneously combust and burst into flames.

Looking toward Martouf, his attention was caught by a movement in the back of the room. He stared as Anise let Daniel up for air, only to be grasped by Daniel and pulled back for another deep, long, kiss. He watched, fascinated as Daniel's hand slid under her shirt. So, it was not only the female Tau'ri that were passionate. He would certainly not have guessed that Daniel Jackson would be so, but he supposed he should not be surprised. Why else would the women of the SGC have given him the title of _hot_? Yes, Malek decided, he was definitely getting an education in Tau'ri sexuality. He hoped he survived it.

He looked over at Martouf and wondered if he was having similar problems concentrating on the puck chasing taking place on the screen. Seeing him shift and attempt to rearrange certain body parts, without drawing attention to himself, he decided that he was. No doubt, Lantash was having as much difficulty as Malek was. Good, he was glad to know that he wasn't the only Tok'Ra that found the Tau'ri women almost too _hot_ to handle.

Perhaps if he concentrated on the hockey that was being played, he could get rid of these feelings. He turned his attention back to the screen to see if it would help. It did not. In fact, it seemed to get worse.

Had he been privy to the inside of Martouf's head, he would have heard as much moaning from Lantash as Devlin was hearing from Malek.

* * *

_"We cannot leave yet, Lantash,"_ Martouf snapped. _"Samantha only left a few minutes ago. If we leave now, it will leave her open to gossip and speculation. I will not have her harmed by us."_

_"I know, and I agree. However, if you do not get your mind away frombody and how it feels,I am never going to be able to calm certain reactions that are making us very uncomfortable. How hockey can make you think of sex is beyond me. At least, if we were in our quarters, we could take a cold shower."_ Lantash shuddered at the thought of that, but knew it might help. Maybe. Second thought. Unlikely.

_"Now who is having erotic thoughts? Why did you switch the water from cold to hot and add Samantha to it? Lantash, please, we must concentrate on something else."_

_"I am trying, Martouf. However, I do not think we will succeed any more than Malek and Devlin are. He is extremely uncomfortable. He can barely sit still, and Daniel and Anise should go to a room somewhere. I do not understand what it is about this hockey that is having this affect."_ Lantash looked over Martouf's shoulder at the action on the screen, trying to see a connection between it and sex, as Jack bounded out of his chair, screaming, "Yes!."

"Wasn't that a great game?" He asked, as he headed for the light switch. Martouf noticed that Daniel and Anise were now sitting somewhat apart, but Daniel was still flushed and Anise looked like she had just had a particularly tasty meal.

"Okay, that's it for tonight, folks. Selmak said he wanted an early night for everyone. Seems you all have a lot to do tomorrow and General Hammond wants me to take a new team out tomorrow for some training, so I have to be up and around early myself. You all know your way to your quarters, right?"

"Yes, Colonel, thank you," Malek replied quickly. "Thank you for an enjoyable evening, also, it was quite, ah, enlightening."

"Hey, everyone enjoys hockey," Jack said, oblivious to the slight undercurrent in Malek's voice, as he went to retrieve his tape from the VCR.

"Goodnight, Jack. Have a good trip off world tomorrow," Daniel called as he exited the room, Anise in tow. Martouf was next out the door followed by Devlin. Teal'c and Jorlin were deep in conversation when Jack turned around. He ambled toward the door, calling out a goodnight to them. They surfaced from their conversation long enough to reply.

Jack headed for the elevators. He was going home. He wondered if he'd meet Daniel in the parking lot. Probably not. No doubt he'd returned to his office to get back to some fascinating rock, and no doubt Carter had opted out to head to her lab to finish some experiment. Those two just didn't know how to relax.

* * *

_"If you cannot succeed soon, Lantash, we will have to take that cold shower. We cannot sleep like this," _Martouf snapped, his nerves stretched tight from a day of tensions. 

"_I am doing the best I can, but if you do not stop thinking about Samantha, I will not be able to do anything. Every time I begin to lessen the blood flow to certain parts of our anatomy, you think of something else and my efforts are wasted as the blood rushes back again"_ Lantash pointed out. "_You could help rather than hinder."_

_"All right, I will try. Perhaps once we have showered and are in bed we will be so tired that we will fall asleep at…" _Martouf's thought died as he entered his room to see Samantha sitting at the small table in his room, doing something on her computer. She had changed clothes. Her BDU's were neatly folded and placed on one of the chairs. She was wearing a camisole top and a pair of shorts. She had showered, and it was obvious that she was not wearing an undergarment. His breath stopped, and he had difficulty swallowing.

She smiled tentatively, looking almost frightened as she breathed softly, "Hi. I hope you don't mind me waiting for you."

"No," his voice gave out, and he tried again, "No, not at all. I was just going to shower and then, um," his voice slowly faded as he tried to form coherent thoughts and failed.

"I'll leave if you'd rather I wasn't here, Martouf. I'll understand," her voice quivered slightly and she again smiled, a very small, unsure gesture.

"We do not wish you to leave, Samantha. Stay, please."

She gazed at him for a long moment, as if gauging his sincerity and then nodded abruptly, before ducking her head and blushing. "All right. If you're sure you don't mind. I'd like to stay."

"It will not take us long to shower." She seemed very tense, and Martouf was puzzled as to why. "Promise me you will not disappear while we are in the shower," he finally brought himself to say.

"I promise. I have some things to do here," she replied, as she indicated the computer. "Go ahead and shower."

Martouf nodded and walked into the bathroom. _"Lantash? What is going on? Do you have any idea?"_ He questioned his friend as he stripped their clothing off and turned on the water.

"_I do not want to assume, but I believe Samantha has decided she wishes to become intimate with us. I also believe her hesitant manner is because she is unsure of how we will react."_

_"Should I reassure her? Tell her to go ahead and get into bed if she finishes whatever she is working on?"_

_"I am not sure. No. No, do not do it in that way. I believe we should not be so blunt, as if we expect her to sleep with us. Finish our shower, and we will see where it goes from there."_

Hearing Martouf walk back into the room, Sam looked up from where she had been staring at her computer screen, accomplishing nothing, and sucked in a breath. His hair still damp and uncombed, a towel thrown around his neck and one around his hips, he was a gorgeous hunk of male animal.

They stared at each other for a moment, before Martouf said softly, "I hope I am not assuming too much, Samantha, and allowing my own desires to allow me to see only that which I wish to see."

"What is it that you wish to see, Martouf?" Sam asked, her voice strained and barely above a whisper.

"I am hoping that you being here, dressed as you are, is an indication that you wish to," he paused, looking for the right word, "come to know us on a more intimate level." He finally said.

He watched her expression, as she seemed to relax and then nodded her agreement. "I – I. Yes, I do. Want to know you in um, in that way, that is."

He nodded, also looking extremely relieved by her answer, and grabbing the towel around his neck, proceeded to finish towel drying his hair, not wanting to take a chance that she might change her mind. "I will be out in a moment. Why do you not finish whatever you are doing, and then we will sit on the bed and talk. I am not going to jump on you and ravish you, Samantha," he said quietly, realizing she was still unsure of exactly how this was going to happen.

After giving him a tentative smile, Sam turned back to her computer screen and closed her programs down as he walked back into the bathroom. He came back out with a comb and less one towel. The one around his hips was still there. She closed her laptop and scooted past him into the bathroom, pulling in some calming breaths as she finished her nightly routine.

She had brought her overnight case and stashed it under the cabinet earlier. She didn't keep sexy lingerie here on base, but once she had made her decision, she'd grabbed Janet and asked her to bring her some things. Being the great friend she was, and being happy for Sam and her second chance with Martouf, she hadn't hesitated and had turned up with it, leaving it in her friend's lab.

Sam hadn't looked to see what she had brought, trusting her, so she was shocked when she opened the bag holding the clothes and found a gown that was pure sex appeal. Sam turned red just looking at it. Could she even wear this in front of him? Good grief, the midnight blue gown was almost all lace, with a few strategically placed strips of satin. This gown was not meant for sleeping, that was for sure. Gritting her teeth, she stripped off her shorts and camisole top. Looking up and into the mirror as she pulled the gown over her head and it fell into place, she stared at herself and reached for a comb.

Pretend you are in jeans and a sweatshirt, Sam, she told herself, only to hear a little voice snicker and say, yeah, right. Then she heard Janet's voice from earlier today. "No, Sam, I don't think you are crazy. You go, girl. Don't miss out this time around." It was the first time that Sam had realized that although she had never discussed it with her, somehow Janet had known. And she was right.

Taking a deep breath, Sam opened the bathroom door and walked out and into the other room.

Martouf was glad that he had not been holding anything but his shirt. When it hit the floor, it did not break. He stared at her, and was vaguely aware of Lantash giving up on trying to get him to say something and taking over for him.

"You are as lovely as I remember, Samantha," Lantash's deep tones sent a shiver down her spine. The old line that had been applied to Lord Byron came to mind. It reminded her of Lantash: mad, bad, and dangerous to know. The mad part might not apply, but something told her that the bad and dangerous were there in abundance. And like a moth to a flame, she was drawn into the depths of that voice and those eyes. Her thoughts were disjointed as she found herself standing in front of him.

_Oh, so dangerous to know, but oh, so wickedly enticing._ Both of them, not just one of them. The curve of those beautiful lips called her as much as the voice and the eyes did. The eyes were compelling. The voice was seductive and the smile was wicked.

And she was going to allow herself to be compelled, enticed, and seduced by them all. Enthralled. She had heard the word, but had never experienced it until now. _Enthrall_ – 1. to hold spellbound; captivate 2. enslave. _Thrall_ – to put into bondage. Well, he certainly had put her heart there, and it was just a matter of time until her body followed its desires.

She wondered idly if they would ask her to become their mate. She would make love with them anyway, but it would have been nice to know for a fact that they considered her in that light.

The love she felt along with the desire was deep and abiding, and she realized that it would never have ended just because he was gone. It would have remained with her always. She had managed to put the grief away eventually, but the love had simply been nestled quietly in her heart. Now that he was here, it had burst forth, no longer content to stay in the shadows.

Beyond that was Jolinar's legacy of love, also endless and timeless, stretching out into forever. As she embraced it and added it to the love that she felt, it was almost overwhelming. She would no doubt have loved again someday, but not like this. Never again like this.

"What are you thinking, Samantha?" Lantash asked, as he watched her. She had briefly had an odd look on her face, as if she had just discovered something that was both fascinating and terrifying all at the same time.

"You," she answered, gasping a little at her epiphany, her flash of insight into what this being meant to her. "I was thinking of you."

Lantash frowned. "You looked frightened for a moment. We did not intend to frighten you."

"No, I'm not frightened of you. It's just - I suddenly realized that…I know what the two of you mean to me and the depth of my feelings, they frightened me for a moment, that's all."

Lantash closed his eyes briefly, feeling her words sink deep within them and heal a wound that had been open and painful for a very long time. Opening them, he said, "I know. We, Martouf and I, have a deep and boundless love for you, Samantha. We have for a very long time. It will not change."

"I know. I understand," she replied, wonder in her voice.

Dropping the towel from his waist, unashamedly naked, comfortable with his body and being with her in this way, he took her hand and led her to the bed. "Come, my love, let us make ourselves more comfortable." Swiftly leaning over and picking her up, he placed her in the center of the bed, glad he'd had the forethought to turn the linens down. The deep blue of the gown made a pool of color against the stark whiteness of the sheets. Her flesh through the lace was enticing. He followed her down and stretched out beside her.

_"Lantash, I cannot. I cannot take Samantha in this way. We cannot take her in this way," _Martouf said suddenly. He felt Martouf's distress. Now that the time had arrived to make Samantha theirs, he was having second thoughts.

Lantash's hand stopped midway between their bodies as he reached to touch her. _"Martouf? What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? I thought you wanted this? Wanted our Samantha in this way? It is all you have thought about all evening."_ Lantash exclaimed, exasperated at what he was almost sure he knew was coming.

"_I know and I am sorry, but she is Not our Samantha, Lantash. We – we are not bonded." _Martouf whispered to his blended mate.

Lantash allowed his hand to fall and rolled over onto his back, moaning, "_Now, Martouf? You are waiting until now to bring this up? Why did you not think of this before we reached this point? Do you have any idea how our refusal to mate with her is going to appear to Samantha? She will believe we do not want her. You saw how nervous and unsure she was."_

_"I am sorry. I cannot. I thought I could. I wanted to, needed to, but now that we are about to make her our mate, I find I need the bonding words to make it right. If you wish to take her without the bonding words, then you must be the one to do so. I will not."_

"Lantash? What is wrong? Are you and Martouf feeling ill again? Should I get Selmak?" Sam asked, as she sat up, fear on her face.

Reaching out and taking her hand, Lantash opened his eyes and sighed. "No, Samantha, we are fine. I must apologize to you. I am afraid that Martouf is having an attack of conscience."

Sam looked at him blankly for a moment while what he said made its way into her mind and was analyzed. It didn't compute; she needed more information. "You're going to have to be a little more explicit, Lantash. Spell it out for me," she stated firmly, her voice becoming cooler with each word.

"_I hope you are happy, Martouf. You probably just lost us our chance to have Samantha back in our life,"_ Lantash bit out.

_"Why can you not simply ask her to become our mate, Lantash? Do you not wish to bond with her?"_

_"Of course, I wish to bond with her, but I also do not wish to pressure her, Martouf. Has it occurred to you that even though she has realized she loves us, she may not be ready to commit herself to us in that way yet? You are asking her to bury years of pain surrounding our loss. She was not bonded to the us from her reality. Why must you try to force this issue with her so soon?"_

_"I am sorry. I had not thought of that. We were mated in our reality. I wished for that with her. Perhaps you are correct and I am rushing her. She is willing to share her body. Perhaps she will be willing to share her life when she begins to know us better,"_ Martouf said quietly.

Lantash sighed again. How did he handle this? Either way, one of them would be hurt. Martouf was not being unreasonable. He had refused to mate with Samantha before without being bonded to her, too. It was just his way. Lantash had thought they would both lose their minds before she had finally agreed. He had often wondered if the need to mate with them had forced Samantha to agree to be their mate, instead of her truly being ready.

Thinking back to that, he said, _"I will not live with that again, Martouf. I will ask, but if she says no, I will not refuse to mate with her. If you cannot agree to that, then I will close you off from the entire happening, if that is what you wish."_

He could feel the indecision from Martouf. "_No. You are correct, Lantash. I may be asking too much too soon and I will not deny her or myself because of that. I had not considered her needs and that is being unfair to you and to her. I will not take control, but I will not be shut away either."_

_"Agreed,"_ Lantash replied softly, before turning his attention outward and back to their Samantha.

He turned to Samantha as she patiently waited for him to finish his conversation with Martouf. He was surprised at her patience, then realized that she must realize he was talking to Martouf.

"Martouf feels that we should be bonded before we mate with you, Samantha, however, it has also just occurred to him that while we were bonded to you, you have never been bonded to us. While we wish to bond with you, we do not wish to pressure you. We have come to a compromise between us."

Sam stared at him for a moment. "And what do you feel, Lantash?"

"Nothing would make me happier than to be able to claim you as our mate, but I, also, realize that you may not be ready to take that step. We have only been together for a very short time in this reality. You were not mated to us before. For us it seems natural, but I realize that to you it may seem to be moving too fast."

Sam looked bewildered for a moment, before asking, "So, - are you, or aren't you, asking me to – to bond with you? Is that like – like marriage?"

"Yes, it is," he sighed, "and yes, I am asking you, and hoping you will not give us an outright refusal, but will at least consider bonding with us. If we bond in this way, then you will be our acknowledged mate. We did not _marry_ in our old reality; you said that we belonged to one another by the bonding, and that it was the same thing. So, although nothing would make us happier than to take you as our bonded mate, Samantha, I will not pressure you or refuse you and us the mating act. I would rather wait to ask you until you have resolved some of your conflicting feelings, than have you refuse us, but I will not. On the other hand, I will not refuse myself or you a physical mating if you do not wish to be bond-mate to us now."

Sam looked thoughtful for a moment, and then stretched out beside him, placing her hand on his chest. "Could I talk to Martouf, please?"

Lantash looked surprised, but agreed at once, "Of course," he said, as he allowed Martouf to take control. "I am sorry, Samantha, I should never have brought the subject up so soon. Lantash is right, and I am asking for the impossible," Martouf said quietly.

"Are you asking me to be your mate, Martouf?" Sam asked him the same question she had asked Lantash.

"Yes, of course, but we will not…"

Martouf's words were cut off as Sam swooped on his lips and taking him by surprise kissed him deeply. Moaning deep in his throat and hearing the answering moan from Lantash, Martouf found his resolve weakening as he felt her breasts brushing against his chest and her hand reaching behind him to stroke Lantash. He could not help himself. His lips opened to her like a flower to the sun and his arms came around her. He would regret it later, he was sure, but for now, he could not deny this woman. He loved her, needed her, and wanted her. It would have to be enough for now.

He felt her pull away slightly and then completely, as she sat up and looked down at him. His sanity returned, and he sighed. "I cannot deny you, Samantha. I am lying to you, Lantash, and myself, if I insist I must be bonded to you before I partake of your body. Perhaps, I was even trying to force you to become our mate by denying you the pleasure of physically mating with us. I am sorry. I will not deny you, or us, that pleasure now, but know that I meant what I said. I wish to become your bonded mate. Whether it is now, or later, is not important. I will continue to hope that as you get to know us you will finally feel that you can do so."

"What does it entail, Martouf? I don't seem to have a memory of your bonding with Jolinar and Rosha. The Sam you knew was blended with Jolinar for quite some time, but I was only blended with Jolinar for a very short time and have only sporadic memories. We should've discussed that today, and I'm sorry we didn't. That's my fault and I apologize."

Martouf blinked at her, as Lantash groaned in his mind. _"This is even worse than I thought, Martouf. She does not even remember our bonding with Jolinar. We are asking too much of her, too soon."_

"No, Samantha, it is not your fault. We knew from the things your Colonel O'Neill said that your blending with Jolinar was very different. I should have realized that and not pressured you. I am the one who is sorry." He reached to pull her into his arms only to have her evade him.

"You've not answered my question, Martouf. What does it entail? Is there a ceremony? Or, is it a declaration between the two, er, or four or in our case, three of us? I really want to know."

"It can be both, or just the ceremony. Jolinar, Samantha, Lantash and I declared to one anther first. We had the ceremony later as is the custom."

"And Jolinar and Rosha? How did you bond with them?"

"The same way. Most Tok'Ra do so, Samantha. We usually declare to one another, before we mate. Then we usually do a declaration of our intent to our friends, followed by a ceremony."

"What does the declaration consist of? If you were going to bond with me what would you say to me?" Sam wanted to know. She was very curious about how their rituals were conducted.

"I would say to you that…Lantash and I love you today, we will love you tomorrow and all the tomorrows we will have together. We will keep ourselves as your mates from this time forward, never forgetting that our body and our hearts now belong to you, and to no other. Our love for you will last until death parts us and that we know now, that it will last beyond death, for we love you still after all this time. We swear to do our best to protect and care for you, no matter what might happen to us. We have spoken truth to you as it is written on our hearts, which we now give into your keeping. We are your bonded mates. Are you willing to declare yourself to us?"

"I see. Well, you know, it does sound very similar to our marriage ceremony in some ways." Sam paused, before saying slowly, "So, if I was going to declare myself to you, I'd say; I love you today, and I will love you and Lantash tomorrow and all the tomorrows we are lucky enough have together. I will keep myself as your mate, and only your mate from this time forward. I will never forget that my body and my heart now belong to you and Lantash and to no one else."

"My love for you and for Lantash will last until death parts us and beyond death, because I love both of you still, even after all these years. I swear to do my best to protect and care for you, no matter what might happen to us. I swear everything I've told you is the truth as it is written on my heart. The same heart that I am now giving into your keeping, yours and Lantash's. I am your bonded mate, Martouf, yours and Lantash's. I've answered your question of whether I was willing to declare to you by doing so. Are you willing to become my husbands at some time by the ceremony of my people?"

"Samantha?" Martouf asked, afraid to believe that she had just declared to them. "_Lantash?"_

_"Yes, dear one, I believe we have just received our dearest wish."_

"Yes, Martouf? Did I not say it right? Did I leave something out?" Sam asked, anxiously.

"No, no, you left nothing out. I love you. We love you. We are not wrong, Samantha? You did just declare to us? You are willing to be our mate?"

"No, you did not misunderstand. Yes, Martouf, I did declare to you. I have wanted to be able to say those words or some very like them to you for a very long time. Perhaps I should give the entire thing more thought, but I don't want to. I don't ever want to live with the regrets I've lived with for so long. No regrets. Not now, not ever. I want to be your mate. I want you and Lantash as my mates."

"Then we will declare to you, Samantha."

"You already did, didn't you? When you were telling me what you would say? You meant every word you said, I could see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. If you truly wish to say it again, I will listen, but my heart heard you the first time."

"Our Samantha," Martouf breathed, as he leaned forward to capture her lips. Releasing them at last, he said, "Tomorrow we will declare to our friends. Tonight we will become mates of the flesh as well as the heart. Come to us, our mate, and make us whole."

Sam smiled as he reached to remove the deep blue gown that was rather less than more. No regrets. She allowed him to lay her down and capture her lips once again.

"Martouf?"

"Yes, my love?" Martouf murmured as he kissed down her neck, nuzzling her ear and nipping her lightly.

"Um, you, mm, you didn't, aahh, answer my, mm, question," she finally managed to gasp as his nibbling sent shivers down her spine.

"What question is that, my love?" he asked, seemingly very much in control of himself.

"Ah, marriage. Husbands," she again managed to pull a coherent thought forward, forcing herself to ignore the sensations he was causing.

Martouf stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. "Yes, our Samantha. We are very willing to become your husbands," he answered before returning to the more interesting occupation of loving his mate instead of talking. He leaned down once more, this timeto kiss her,only to have her move sideways, away from them.

"Wait, um, please, Martouf," Sam said, forcing herself to leave the sensual haze she was fast falling into. She knew Lantash had not wanted to ask her yet, and perhaps he had only done so at Martouf's urging. She had talked to Martouf, now she needed to hear what Lantash had to say, too. "You needed to bond with me before we mated. I need to know that Lantash agrees to become my husband. After all, you are the one that said the bonding words to me, not Lantash. I need to hear from him that he really does wish to become my husband. Not only that, but…I'm sorry, Martouf, but I have some questions to ask him."

"You have no need to apologize, Samantha. Lantash is your mate, as much as I, and you may speak to either of us at any time, whenever you wish to do so."

She watched a Lantash came forward. Now that he was here, she wasn't sure how to ask her questions.

"What do you wish to ask of me, Samantha? Are you upset that I would have mated with you physically before bonding with you?"

She looked up, startled, then lowered her head as she blushed, "I – That is – I need to know. I need to know if you truly wished to bond with me. I know you said you did before, but…knowing it is what Martouf wanted, you would have done so, whether you wished to or not. That's true, isn't it?" She finally managed to ask. "Because I was willing to mate with you without the words, Lantash. I admit I wanted you to ask me, but I still would have, even without them. But, I need to know if you feel the same as Martouf, or if we forced you into it between the two of us. I won't force you to bond with me. I – I couldn't bear that," she whispered.

"Samantha, look at me and listen to me," Lantash said firmly, as he reached out and grasped her chin, forcing her to leave her study of the sheets and meet his eyes. "When we were bonded before, Martouf refused to physically mate with you before we bonded and I agreed with him. Later, I always wondered if we had forced you into a decision that you would not have made so quickly if we had not been so adamant. I do not ever wish to wonder again if I – we - have forced you. That is the only reason I was hesitant to ask you to be our bonded mate. It is, also, why I would have mated with you without your agreeing to become our bonded mate. Never again do I ever want to have those kinds of doubts."

"Your answer to us was quickly, and, I believe, happily given because you wish to be our bonded mate. The reason I am telling you this is because I know how those types of doubts can eat into you since I myself had them before. Therefore, I will tell you exactly how I feel about you and bonding with you and you will know that I speak the truth. I would not try to deceive you, Samantha, not about this or anything else."

"I will tell you this once and hope you believe me. If you do not then I suppose I will repeat it as often as necessary, until you do believe me, but I would prefer not to have to repeat this as it is very – difficult - for me to admit."

"We are Tok'Ra, Samantha, and yet we are also, although we do not like to admit it, Goa'uld." He watched as her eyes widened. This was not something they ever admitted that she could remember. From the first time they had met them, they had insisted that they were _not Goa'uld. _

"You are surprised, but you should not be. You are aware that we are physically Goa'uld. Our only true difference is in our beliefs and our customs. Our desire is to share the body of our host, and in exchange, we will give certain abilities to them. Our knowledge, our strength, our ability to heal; this is what we offer in exchange for the chance to experience the world we know only in our minds until we blend." Lantash paused again, obviously trying to think of how to tell her what he had to say.

"In many ways we are very different from Goa'uld. However, in one way, unless we actively put it away from us, we are still very similar to the Goa'uld. It is the one thing that Egeria warned us most stringently to guard against, for it will claim us more enemies than friends, and in truth, she told us, we have no true reason to be this way. Be that as it may, it is still there in us." Lantash paused again before he could bring himself to say the words, "We are very arrogant, and we have a great deal of pride. It is very difficult for us to admit that there is anyone or anything, other than our queen, that could command us."

Lantash smiled slightly as he continued to look at her fully as he made his confession, "You are wondering why I am telling you these things. I am telling you so that you will understand the full meaning of my next statement."

Drawing a deep breath and never looking away from her, he said, "You may command me at any time, Samantha, for my love for you far outweighs my arrogance and my pride. I love you today, I will love you tomorrow, and I will love you all of the tomorrows we will have together. You have my heart. You are my mate, not because Martouf wishes it, although he does, but because I wish it."

"I would do anything, anything you ask of me, to prove that to you. If repeating the bonding statement to you is what you need to hear, then I will repeat it. Every day if necessary. If becoming your husband is what will convince you that I love you, then I shall go through that ceremony whenever and wherever you ask it of me, as often as you ask it of me. You are my mate, Samantha, because I love you and wish you to be my mate, and for no other reason, I swear to you."

"Why are you crying? Do you still not believe me?"

Sam shook her head. She couldn't speak around the lump in her throat. After a sniff or two, she was able to give a slight smile. "I believe you, Lantash, and I'm sorry for making you say those things. It had to be very difficult. I promise I'll never question your love of me again. Ever."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, my heart. As Martouf said to you, come to me and make us whole, Samantha, for we have been only half alive now for a very long time."

As he reached for her and felt the softness of her skin under his hands, he thanked whatever it was that had led them here, once again. Fate, luck, or destiny. Whatever it had been, he would not turn away from it.

He brought her lips to his and traced them with their tongue. Martouf moaned in their mind and the thought was sent, asking if he wished to take over, the answer came back, no, not yet, he would revel in the feel of her and Lantash as he made love to her. Lantash did not need any more encouragement. "Open for me, Samantha," he demanded and was rewarded with her lips parting for him.

Sam smiled to herself at his command. Lantash would always be an Alpha male. He might say that she could command him, and perhaps she could, but in the end, he was still arrogant and demanding, expecting to be obeyed, whether he realized it or not. Moreover, she was more than happy to agree to this particular demand.

He kissed her deeply, drinking of her sweetness before moving to feather kisses from the corner of her mouth to her temple, and from there to her ear and on down her throat.

Once there he began to nip her lightly, bringing forth a moan from her and a slight smile from him. That particular spot had always sent her desire spiraling higher. He came back to it over and over, playing her body as if it was a fine instrument and he the virtuoso that could bring the most beautiful music from it. Her music would soon flow over him to fulfill his every desire.

* * *

"Dear Universe, Samantha, we do love you,"Lantash said softly as they lie tangled together much later. 

When she said nothing in return, he forced himself up onto his elbows. She was lying quietly with a contented smile on her lips as she softly caressed him. "We are mated," she finally said softly, in wonderment. "I am finally really and truly your mate, in all ways, Lantash. I love you. Both of you." Leaning forward, he kissed the tears away, realizing they were tears of wonderment, release, and joy.

Martouf roused himself from his sensory overload and took Lantash's place allowing him to become quiescent for a time, as he preferred and indeed, needed, to do.

"As we both love you, our Samantha. As we both love you."

She watched as their eyes closed. Moving gently, so as not to awaken them, she reached down and pulled the blankets over them, before snuggling into their arms. "Goodnight, my loves," she whispered. She was surprised when their eyes opened, glowed for a moment and Lantash answered, "Goodnight, Samantha." Then leaning forward and kissing her lightly, he whispered, "But do not expect to sleep for long, my love, for our hunger for you has only temporarily been sated. Rest now, as we will, and later we will love yet again."

He pulled her more tightly to them and nestled her firmly against their body as they both relaxed into sleep.

TBC


	8. Formal Declaration of Intent 8 WDL

___**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise _

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works.My web address is in my bio.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

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_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**Formal Declaration of Intent**_

* * *

Sam finished her breakfast and realized that Martouf had said very little since they entered the cafeteria, and that he wasn't really eating his meal. It was obvious that something was on his mind, so it didn't surprise her when he turned to her, and said, "Samantha, I must ask you once more to be very sure. Even though we declared last night, neither Lantash nor I will hold you to what was said with the heat of passion perhaps holding sway. Do you still wish to be our bond-mate? If so, then we must make our declaration to the Tok'Ra that are here, as soon as they come in." 

Sam's eyes widened. "Martouf, I told you last night that I wanted to become bonded mates with you and Lantash. Passion aside, I meant what I said, and I want us to marry as well." She frowned slightly picking up on his nervousness. "This declaration thing. What is it? I mean, what does it entail? You seem kind of nervous for something that is no more than informing people that we are bonded."

"Yes, I suppose I am. It is the formal declaration of intent, and it should be done at once, so that all will know that I now consider you my mate. It tells everyone that I will protect you and stand by you as such."

He paused slightly before adding, "It is also one of the times that objections can be raised to the pairing. Lantash tells me that he has known that to happen only a few times and only one of those was upheld at the time. It was revoked later when the situation was straightened out. I do not believe that there will be any legitimate objections in this instance, as I can not think of anything that could be claimed against you or I that would prevent our bonding."

He smiled a bit wryly as he continued, stating, "It will also, I believe, relieve your father's mind. He will be worrying that I have seduced you without taking you as my formal mate. This way, it will both reassure him that I did not simply use your body with no intention of joining with you, and it will make our relationship a formal bond. The actual ceremony must wait until we are back in the tunnels. I suppose Malek, as a base commander, could officiate, but normally, it is a holder of the ceremonial bindings or a high councilor that performs the ceremony." He frowned, obviously thinking.

"You requested that we become your husbands. There is a ceremony is there not?"

Sam looked startled for a moment before saying, "Let's get through one thing at a time and finish discussing this declaration that needs to be done. Is this part of the entire process? You mentioned last night that we had to declare ourselves, to accept one another, and we did that. Then, you mentioned this announcement, and I thought that you meant that we would just tell everyone that we had made a decision to become bond-mates, and, you know, go through a ceremony. I take it that it's a little more than just informing people we are going to be mates?"

"Yes, it is. First, there is the personal declaration and the joining of the bodies, which we did last night. Then, there is the formal declaration, which tells our people we intend to become bond-mates, a bonded, joined couple, by the bonding ceremony. Then, there is the actual ceremony that completes the bonding."

"Please do not misunderstand, Samantha, even though we would not force you to remain so, if you did not wish it, we are joined, and it is binding on us, for we declared to one another. Those things that are left to be done are formalities that most choose to go through. And even though they are not absolutely necessary, in a way, they do serve a purpose. If there are objections, you know of them and what they are, although you can choose to ignore them. If there were objections and they were upheld, the Tok'Ra would accept only that the couple considers themselves bonded, but it is not a sanctioned union. There are no penalties or anything like that, and, in fact some do not bother to do this part. Once we have declared ourselves, then our people will expect us to accept the bonding words and declare them to one another."

"Once I have managed to accumulate what I need to do so, I will acquire a necklace of gold for you, which we will choose together. You may give me one, also, if you wish."

"Are there certain words that we use for this declaration?" Sam asked, beginning to feel nervous about the entire thing now that she had a better idea of what it actually meant.

Martouf shook his head. "Not exactly. At least not that you need to know. I will declare to the Tok'Ra, and you will simply tell them that you have become joined to us and that you agree to become our bonded mate when they ask you. As the eldest, Selmak is the one to which we will declare. Lantash and I must both make our intentions known, however."

Sam smiled at him slightly, before saying, "It almost sounds like our engagement, except that for us, supposedly anyway, the engagement and the wedding come first. Then the sex. The wedding is the formal joining ceremony. That is when you will become my husbands, and I will become your wife. That is also the time when objections can be made."

"Yes, Samantha explained it to us, but did not wish to go through the ceremony at the time when we first joined and bonded. I have always wondered why. She said that it was unnecessary, but I have often wondered if Lantash was correct, and she did not wish to bond with us at that time. Later, we talked of it again, and had, in fact, decided to go through the Tau'ri ceremony, but she was killed before we could do so."

Sam reached out and touched Martouf on the arm as he stared at his plate, lost in the past. "Martouf, look at me, please," she told him softly. Once he turned to look into her eyes, she said gently, "I don't believe for one minute that I didn't love you in your old reality. It simply isn't possible. If I, - Sam, decided to go through the ceremony with you it was for you, not for her. She probably knew you wondered and hoped it would put your mind at rest. After what Lantash said last night about always wondering if she was pressured into bonding, I'm quite sure of it."

"How can you be so sure, my Samantha? How can you know?"

Sam smiled at him, "Because she is me and I am her. Just as you are Martouf and he was you. The truth is that I don't feel a need to marry you. And from what you said, she felt the same. I wish to join with you by our ceremony for you, so that you will always know in your hearts that I was sure that I wanted to bond with you. I never want you to wonder if I truly wanted to be your mate. So, we will go through both ceremonies."

Martouf smiled his sweetest smile, and Sam's heart melted again, as it did each time that he gave her that special smile. "Thank you, Samantha. I find your words very comforting, and Lantash wishes me to add his thanks as well. He also feels comforted by your words."

Leaning over she kissed him softly, not caring who saw her. "If it helped, I'm glad. Now, eat your breakfast."

"Yes, dear," Martouf said meekly, before grinning at her and returning to his food.

They looked up as Jacob and the other Tok'Ra entered the cafeteria. After they filled their trays, Martouf indicated through gestures that they should join them. Sam realized that Selmak had control. No doubt, her dad was sputtering about his little girl being with Martouf overnight. She sighed. She really would have to see if the General would do a civil ceremony for them right away. At least her dad would feel better. She wondered how the other Jacob had felt about that.

As the Tok'Ra seated themselves around the table and surrounded them, Martouf turned so that he faced Selmak, but could address the entire group. Raising his voice slightly, since Selmak was seated two seats away, he said, "Selmak, I say to you that, I, Martouf of the Tok'Ra, have declared and joined with Samantha of the Tau'ri. Let it be known throughout the ranks of the Tok'Ra, that she is now my mate in thought, heart, and deed. We will soon take one another as mates by the ceremony of bonding, as we have already taken one another by the joining of our bodies and our hearts."

Sam realized that it had become completely quiet in the cafeteria. Not even silverware was rattling. The Tok'Ra sat quietly and waited, as did Martouf. Selmak turned to Samantha, and said, "Samantha of the Tau'ri, have you taken Martouf of the Tok'Ra by the joining of your heart and body?"

"Yes, I have," Sam said, blushing.

"Is it your intention to take part in the Tok'Ra bonding ceremony and join with Martouf of the Tok'Ra by the bonding words?"

"Yes, it is. I also plan to join with him in the Tau'ri marriage ceremony," she added firmly.

"It is witnessed by all here present that you have agreed and that you and Martouf have both declared your intentions. The ranks of the Tok'Ra shall be so informed, and we now accept you as mates one to the other."

Sam watched as Martouf's eyes flared and Lantash came forward to speak, "Selmak, I say to you that, I, Lantash of the Tok'ra, have declared and joined with Samantha of the Tau'ri. Let it be known throughout the ranks of the Tok'Ra, that she is now my mate in thought, heart, and deed. We will soon take one another as mates by the ceremony of bonding, as we have already taken one another by the joining of our bodies and our hearts."

Again, Selmak waited, and then turned to Samantha, and said, "Samantha of the Tau'ri, have you taken Lantash of the Tok'Ra by the joining of your heart and body?"

"Yes, I have," Sam said, and this time being more prepared, she didn't even blush.

"Is it your intention to take part in the Tok'Ra bonding ceremony and join with Lantash of the Tok'Ra by the bonding words?"

"Yes, it is. I also plan to join with him in the Tau'ri marriage ceremony."

"It is witnessed by all here present that you have agreed and that you and Lantash have both declared your intentions. The ranks of the Tok'Ra shall be so informed, and we now accept you as mates one to the other."

Lantash visibly relaxed and Selmak smiled at them, saying, "I told Jacob that you would be a joined pair by morning. It is always satisfactory to be proven correct."

Jacob took over and smiled at his daughter, "I'm happy for you, Sam. Have you talked to George about the ceremony?"

Sam shook her head, and realizing that the entire commissary was still very quiet, she said, loudly enough that everyone would know so that there would be no speculation, "Not yet. I'd like to do a simple civil ceremony as soon as possible. I'll talk to him as soon as I can."

Jacob nodded, saying, "I'll go with you and Martouf after we eat. I don't see a problem with it."

"Thank you, Jacob. We appreciate it," Lantash grinned at him, knowing that Jacob wanted the entire thing wrapped up so he would feel his daughter was _married_. The other Jacob had never said anything, but when they had finally decided on the ceremony, he had been patently relieved. Therefore, he knew this was already making this Jacob feel better about his _little girl_.

SG1 had come in shortly after the Tok'ra and had been getting their food when Martouf started his declaration. They, too, had stopped what they were doing to listen.

Janet had been right behind them. Now that the more formal statements were obviously at an end, she came over and hugged Sam. "I'm really happy for you, Sam," she whispered. "I think this is the best thing you could possibly do. Congratulations."

Daniel, Teal'c, and Jack followed her lead, and each offered congratulations and best wishes to both Sam and Martouf and Lantash. As others stood, came over to them, and offered their congratulations and comments, Martouf began to look bemused and confused. As everyone finally managed to talk to them and things began to quiet down, he turned to Sam, who smiled at him.

"Remember I mentioned that it sounded like our engagements? Well, in many Tau'ri cultures there is a period that we call the engagement or betrothal. When an engagement is announced, the couple's friends and acquaintances congratulate them and wish them well. So, basically, in our culture, you just announced our engagement and everyone is telling us that they are happy for us. The engagement period is the time between the decision to marry and the actual marriage."

"And that is when the woman is presented with a ring, is she not? A circle which is the symbol of eternal devotion with no beginning and no end? I do not now have a ring for you, Samantha, but I will eventually be able to purchase one. It will take time, I am afraid. I have nothing in your reality."

"Don't worry about it, Martouf. We'll take care of the ring later if we decide that we want one. We'll work on the necklaces first, as that is what your people use," Sam said, as she realized that what Martouf said was true. He literally had nothing in their reality. It didn't matter, as he would soon have. The Tok'Ra were communal to a point and tended to share much of what they had. Not that they didn't have personal belongings or wealth. They did, but they also shared amongst themselves.

"Actually, the necklace is the custom from the Tok'ra. My people give a circlet of gold and stones that one wears on the head. It would thread through your hair and the stone would set in the center of your forehead. They are very lovely. Perhaps, someday, I will get one for you. I do not know if the things that we left behind were ever found or not. We abandoned them when we left on our last mission. We hoped to be able to retrieve them after it was over," Martouf said, his voice getting husky as he thought of the belongings that he would never see again. His mother's circlet was there. He had given it to Samantha.

Jacob's eyes flared, and Selmak came forward to say. "We have Martouf and Lantash's belongings still. Most of the clothing has been used, of course, but some of his personal things, I have kept. There is a circlet such as you describe. I have it still."

"Does it have blue stones?"

"Yes. It does."

"I will not know until I see it, but I believe that it was my mother's. I had given it to Samantha."

Selmak nodded. "I have it, so you may have it back when we return to the tunnels."

"Thank you, Selmak. That is very much appreciated," Martouf's smile widened, and it was obvious that he was very happy at this news. He had his joining circlet to give to his mate.

"You are most welcome. You should also know that I also have the necklaces that you and Lantash, and Rosha and Jolinar wore, if you wish to have them. I would suggest that, if you do not mind doing it, you have them melted down and made into a new design for the two of you."

Lantash came forward, and said quietly, "I have no objection to doing that, Selmak. Thank you for thinking of it. We will have it done as soon as we return to the tunnels."

"Well, if you two are ready, we should go talk to General Hammond. Jacob," Selmak stated stoically, "is very anxious to have this completed."

Sam smiled wryly before responding, "Yeah, I just bet he is."

Selmak grinned at her.

_"What did she mean by that, Sel?"_ Jacob asked.

_"She meant that she knows her father very well, Jacob. Very well, indeed." _Selmak sent a mental smile at his host as he added, "_And that she loves him very much, anyway./_

_"Well, of course, she…hey, wait a minute! What do you mean, anyway?"_

Selmak hugged him. _"I love you, anyway, too, Jacob,"_ he chuckled as they headed for the general's office.

* * *

"Jorlin, what do you think about this? Major Carter was very specific in what her _costumes_ were supposed to be like. We all talked it over and agreed that they are all supposed to be the same. Kathryn blushed slightly as she looked at the garment in her hands. It was a _dream_ come true, that was for sure. Made of deep blue silk and a chiffon type material, it was straight out of the _Arabian Nights_ or _I Dream of Jeannie_. There were several of them here in their sizes, in all colors and combinations of colors of the rainbow. 

"I would say, Lt., er, Kathryn, that if you and the Major wear those, we should find both Malek and Lantash in little puddles on the floor where they have melted, or perhaps, we will just find black charred places where they have simply overheated and spontaneously burst into flames. If that is your intention, then, by all means, get them, for they are most appropriate as lo'tar garments."

"We'll also need cloaks to wear over them. I'm assuming that we will wear them under our uniforms and change once we reach the planet that the mirror is on. The Major wouldn't be caught dead in this on base unless she couldn't help it, and frankly, neither would I. However, they will serve their purpose for this assignment, and then find a permanent home in the Halloween costume storage box. And, like I said, all of us agreed to wear these, so it won't be just the Major and I. Alice wants some, and so does Capt. Adams. Needless to say, they have, ah, their own agendas, too, as I'm sure that you've figured out by now."

Jorlin laughed softly. "I'll be sure to find something for Sgt. Richards that Sgt. Wayman will appreciate."

Kathryn laughed with her, and then said, "Yes, by all means, let's keep the guys' clothes in the realm of fantasy as well. I'm sure Anise will appreciate it as much as the rest of us. Any excuse that gets Dr. Jackson stripped to the waist, or at least shows off the bod, will have all of our votes. He really is hot." She sighed, before continuing, "so what else do we need? Shoes? Bracelets? Head gear? I'm not too up on the finer points of fantasy wear, but somehow I just can't see these outfits going well with combat boots."

Jorlin looked down at the boots she was wearing and then at the outfit in her hands. She giggled at the incongruousness of the picture that it presented. Kathryn was correct; the boots would make the entire ensemble ridiculous.

Beginning to get into the spirit of the quest, Jorlin proved to be a fount of information. She stopped and cocked her head for a moment listening to her host. "Tamara says that since we do not know how long this mission will take, and we do not know what type of cleansing facilities we will find along the way, we should get at least three apiece and then also some things that would be warmer if we end up somewhere that is too cool for those. The ones you have here will take up very little packing area as there is very little material to them, and what little there is will compress. She suggests some of those robes over there," she said with a nod toward some gowns that were made of heavier fabrics.

Katherine took one look and fell in love with them. Made of a velvet-like material, the sleeves were long and fitted, but had flowing over-sleeves. The necklines varied, some rounded, some squared, and some veed. They all swept the floor and were made to look as if they were two gowns, an under and an over skirt, but they were actually one piece. Some hugged the body with dropped waists, giving a very medieval look; others were more in the Chinese fashion, and straighter, still others had a Regency flair to them with high waists and mini trains. She purchased three for each of the women. Luckily, these would fit all of them with a taking up of a hem, or from what she could tell, the taking out of the tucks, they could be enlarged. These were meant to fit people of different sizes with minor alterations. They were great and they would be warm.

It didn't take long to outfit both Anise and Jorlin, as well, for some of these in the more sumptuous fabrics were perfect for the female satellites.

By the time they finished their shopping for all the slaves, both male and female, she and Jorlin were very good friends. Seeing that Malek was waiting patiently for them to accompany him to find clothing for the men playing the parts of System Lord and satellites, they set to with a will. In very little time, they had the three men suited in a manner to turn any woman's head, or have them fit in at Mardi Gras, Kathryn wasn't sure which.

That wasn't a fair statement, actually. She and Jorlin had gone out of their way to purchase things that would accent the respective men's assets. Personally, she couldn't wait to see Malek and Dev in the things they had purchased for him and she was sure that Major Carter was going to be very pleased with Martouf's new clothing. Even General Carter was going to look pretty darned 'hot'. Sgt. Wayman and Capt. Adams wouldn't have any room for complaint. She hoped that Malek was over being miffed by later this evening. He needed to teach her how to serve things, and what was acceptable and what wasn't.

He was being just a tad snappish with her today. Devlin, thank goodness, didn't seem to share his symbiote's less than congenial mood. She had a feeling that Malek's problem was something other than what _had not _happened between them though. She'd be sure to find out later.

And if it was that she hadn't dropped into bed with him at the nod of his rather arrogant head, then he'd just have to learn to live with it. She was a long way from being a prude, however, on the other hand, she didn't bed-hop either. If Malek expected her to hop into bed with him before she knew him and had built some kind of relationship, he was in for a surprise, because she didn't bed a guy unless she cared on some level. They were working on forming a caring friendship, but it wasn't there yet. It wasn't that she wanted some big lifetime commitment from him. She didn't expect happily ever after, but she did expect respect and some type of emotional bond, even if it was only deep and caring friendship.

There was definitely sexual tension and attraction between them and she liked both of them. She liked them a lot, enough, in fact, to take them to her bed. She just wasn't quite ready to do that. She shivered slightly and smiled to herself. It wouldn't be long before she was willing to, though. They really were delicious. Mm.

Then thinking of how Malek had been acting today, she sighed slightly. She supposed that she would have to discuss it with him. They couldn't go through this mission with him acting like he had a poker up his butt.

She and Jorlin had purchased what passed for carryalls for the clothing and other accoutrements. They were basically just large bags made from a material similar to burlap, with straps, and were long enough that a P90 and the accompanying ammunition would fit well in them, along with other needs. There were several sizes and they would be able to put the necessary things out of their packs in them.

Traveling with the Tok'Ra, they wouldn't need a lot of medical supplies, but they would still need their personal items; combs, soap, and such. The carryalls would work fine. The outfits that they had settled on for the _slaves_ wouldn't allow anything but a knife to be concealed, however, each outfit had a matching waist carryall for traveling that was just right for a few personal things and a zat to fit in. The cloaks had inside pockets as well as outside ones. They would be able to use those to conceal weapons, if it was cool enough to wear them. Kathryn was glad that the Major had insisted that they be armed in some way.

They had no idea what the climate was like on the planet that they were heading for. They had been told that it was Pangara and Major Carter said that when they were there, it was pleasant, but somewhat cool.

She wondered when the Major and Martouf and Lantash would get married. Probably before the mission. And that reminded her. Dr. Fraiser had said to look for something that Major Carter could wear to get married in. She didn't want white, feeling that the color made her looked washed out, but if they found something that looked like it would work, to get it. They could always use it for something else if it wasn't suitable.

Turning to Jorlin and Malek, she said, "I need to go back to the shop that we got the costumes from. I think that there might be a gown there that would be perfect for Major Carter to get married in."

Jorlin agreed, and Malek hefted what seemed to be dozens of the bags that he was carrying and followed morosely. The two women were also carrying some bags, but somehow, he seemed to have the majority of them. He sighed. He hated shopping, and Selmak knew it. He sent them because of it, Malek had insisted to Dev. He sighed again as he watched Kathryn walk. He was getting hot.

_"You would not be getting hot if you were not looking where you are,"_ Devlin chided him.

_"Thank you for your commentary, Devlin, but when I desire your opinion, I will ask for it," _Malek said tartly.

_"Hah! Little snappish, are we? Why are you being so cool to Kathryn? You have barely spoken to her."_

_"I do not know. I did not sleep well. You slept as one dead."_

_"Yes, I slept quite well, thank you. But then, I was not upset because a woman we are just beginning to know did not fall at our feet and worship us by becoming our bedmate."_

_"I do not expect her to worship me, Devlin,"_ Malek said quietly, obviously hurt by the words. "_That is unfair of you."_

Devlin sighed. That was true. Malek really did not expect that and he was not in the mood to take things lightly. "_You are right. That was an unfair and undeserved statement. I am sorry."_

_"I realized that we will be acting as if we are her master for the duration of this mission. We cannot ask her to go to bed with us while that is the case. She might feel as if she could not refuse us, and that would be unfair."_

Devlin sighed. _"Malek. Dear one, she will not be our slave and we will not be her master. We are acting. Yes, it must appear to others that she obeys us, but once our door is shut, she will not be subservient to us. That will pertain only in front of others. Why would you think that she would feel otherwise?"_ He wanted to know.

He felt the surprise that entered Malek. "_I did not really think she would, but that she might. I do not wish to force her to do something that she does not wish to do. If we ever have a physical relationship with her, I do not wish to forever wonder if she felt she had no choice, but to do as we asked."_

"_If this truly bothers you, Malek, then it is something that you should bring out into the open and discuss with her. I believe that you will find that she will be surprised that you would even consider that she might feel pressured into mating with us. We will be equals when the door closes at night and I feel sure that will be her attitude."_

Suddenly Malek felt cheerier. _"You are correct. I do not know why I did not realize that myself, but I did not. I suppose I was thinking of the fact that we will not be able to let our guard down. She will have to be able to immediately drop back into her role if something happens, and I suppose I thought she might immerse herself in it to the point where she would truly feel as if she was our slave. I will discuss it with her to be very sure, though, for my own piece of mind. Thank you, Devlin."_

Devlin felt his relief and laughed, saying, "_You are welcome and I do understand. You are too used to the Tok'ra and how we immerse ourselves in our roles when we play one. We have no choice, for to make a mistake could mean our death. While I do not think that the Tau'ri will become our slaves, I do believe that they will play their parts well. And now that you have decided to talk it over with her, why do you not try being a little nicer. Otherwise, she is liable to knock you up side the head with her P90 when we get back."_

Malek laughed with his host. _"I will, Devlin. I promise."_

Jorlin looked at the dress that Kathryn was holding up. "What do you think, Jorlin?" she was saying.

"I think it is beautiful and she will be lovely in it. The deep blue will make her eyes bluer. It is very elegant and simple. I think that she will like it as well."

"It has this little head piece that goes with it that would work instead of a veil," Kathryn said as she looked at the dress again. Simply cut, it was a dark blue brocade, rich in texture and look. It had long tight sleeves, a fitted waist, and a skirt with a small train. It also had an almost heart shaped neckline that plunged to a rather deep vee, but there was nothing indecent about it. There was a golden thread shot through the material here and there that caught the light and shimmered. The head piece was layers of lace that hung down in the back from a tiara like crown. It really would be a perfect wedding gown if it fit, and it looked from the measurements that they had as if it would.

They purchased it and turned to Malek as if to offer the package to him. He smiled at Kathryn and said somewhat sardonically, as he again attempted to keep a strap on one of the bags from sliding off his shoulder, "I suppose I could carry it in my teeth."

Realizing what they had done to him, the women laughingly started to unburden and share with him the many packages. After a more equitable dispersal of their items, they headed for the Chaappa'ai.

_"Thank the universe that this is over, at last,"_ Malek sighed to Devlin as they again fell behind the women. Watching the hips swinging in front of them, he grinned.

Devlin grinned back, _"Well, maybe it is not so very bad. At least we have something enticing to look at. And now we know what Jacob meant when he said that Kathryn kept falling behind us because she was admiring the view. I am becoming rather partial to this view myself."_

_"I must agree, Devlin. Yes, I do most certainly agree."_

Kathryn sent the code and they stepped into the event horizon. She would remember this place. Shopping was really fun there.

* * *

Stepping out on the other side, they were surprised to see red, white, and blue bunting everywhere. What was going on? 

"Hey, Siler, what's up with all the bunting? Surely we aren't having dignitaries _now_?" Kathryn asked.

Sgt. Siler shook his head, saying, "No, but it's all we had. Major Carter and Martouf and Lantash are getting married in a few hours, and the General said to make it as festive as possible at such short notice."

"We've sent out for flowers and stuff… a cake and whatever else women think is essential to get married, I guess." He shrugged his denial of responsibility.

"Well, use lots of blue 'cause it'll match her dress. Jorlin and I found the perfect thing. Oh!" She turned to Jorlin, excitedly, "Jorlin, remember that really fancy, gorgeously embroidered white shirt and the black suede pants that we found? Didn't we get that for Martouf? It's fancy enough for a wedding, don't you think? And there was a cummerbund type of thing that came with it, and the jacket. Come on, we need to take this stuff to the people they belong to and then get the dress and Martouf's outfit to Janet. Come along, our trusty steed and carry our belongings just a few steps farther," She threw over her shoulder to Malek.

He grumbled, groaned, sighed, and obediently followed them down the hall. _"It is more likely that we will end up falling to our knees and worshiping her, Devlin,"_ he groused.

_"I am aware, dear one, but the rewards will be worth it."_

Once more watching her walk, Malek had to agree.

TBC


	9. You Have a Go 9 WDL

___**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise _

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works.My web address is in my bio. Where Destiny Leads, the NC-17 version, has been nominated for a Stargate Fan Award.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

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_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**You Have a Go**_

* * *

Two days ago, Major Carter and Martouf and Lantash of the Tok'Ra had stood within the spinning circle of the Chaappa'ai and married. It was odd to hear the marriage ceremony twice during the same wedding, but Major Carter had insisted that she wanted to marry both of them. Later, Kathryn gathered her courage and asked Sam why she'd insisted on going through it twice. The Major had explained that this way, neither Martouf nor Lantash would ever have to be concerned that it was only Martouf or only Lantash that she had wanted to marry. 

The symbiote was a separate being; Lantash was a very different person from Martouf, yet she loved them both. And yes, she did mean "person", for Lantash had all the emotions, wants, needs and desires of any other human. His physical form was not the same as a human's, but that didn't make his feelings different, or any less valid than Martouf's. She wanted them to know that she loved and wanted both of them.

They'd had a very interesting talk. Kathryn had developed feelings that she wasn't sure she wanted to allow to grow. It was one thing to want Malek and Devlin on a purely physical level. It was another when one's emotions became involved. And she was afraid that they were becoming involved. What she didn't know was how they felt about her. Oh, she knew that they wanted her. But want, need, love, and lust were all very different things. She knew, because she had felt them all.

She still hadn't gone to bed with them, though. Not that she didn't want to. She did. Achingly. But she was afraid that once she gave that part of herself to them, she would be lost forever.

The Major had pointed something else out, too. Something that she hadn't considered before. Regret was a very poor bedfellow, and it hurt. A lot. "If you find that you do love them, and you want to be with them, then don't deny yourself because you might be hurt. The regret you'll feel, if something happens to them, and you were never with them, is almost unbearable," Major Carter had said. She'd been looking across the room to where Martouf and Lantash were watching a game of pool that was in progress. Malek was with them.

The pain in Sam's eyes at the memories that she had brought up had helped Kathryn to see things more clearly. It was too late to stop the growth of the emotions. They were already well on their way to being adult plants, and to pull them out by the roots would be almost impossible, as well as unendurably painful. So, if it was too late to stop it, then she would just have to tend it and care for it. Feed it, nurture it and make it strong and healthy. Maybe they would never love her, but she would love them and give them that love freely. It was her choice. It was what she wanted.

She knew that Malek was worrying about making love to her, should she finally give in to them, during the mission. He felt that she would be at a disadvantage once they were on their way because of his position and hers. Though she had assured him that she would feel no obligation, she knew that if she waited until the mission to make love to him, he would always wonder why she had agreed.

One of the other things she'd learned from the Major was how vulnerable she believed the symbiotes were. Arrogant, yes, but underneath their show of bravado, it was her opinion that they were actually unsure of whether a human woman could ever truly love them. Even though they had mated with humans for a very long time, she felt that deep down they had always wondered if the human loved them, or if it was the sharing of the emotions with the symbiote.

She'd admitted that it was simply a feeling she sometimes had, but she believed it to be true, and she always kept it in mind when dealing with Lantash. She tried, most of the time, to subtly give to him that extra bit of reassurance that Martouf didn't really seem to need. Sometimes, she did it in an obvious way, so that Lantash knew she was telling him specifically that she loved him, for who and what he was, and at others she did it in more unobtrusive ways.

So, here she was on the last night before the mission. She had to decide whether to make love to him tonight or wait until after the mission was completed. If something happened to them, she didn't want to live with the pain and regret that she had seen in Major Carter's eyes at the memory of Martouf and Lantash dying. Nor did she ever want to see doubt enter their eyes when they thought of why she had made love to them.

They were leaving in the morning. They'd figured out, as well as they could from the information they had, that the planet they were headed to first would be dark until about twelve hundred hours, so they weren't leaving exceptionally early.

Drawing a deep breath and gathering her courage, she raised her hand and knocked on their door.

Devlin opened the door and blinked at her. They were supposed to meet in the rec room in approximately thirty minutes. It was nineteen thirty hours. Why was she here? Surely, she hadn't been put on duty with their mission taking place tomorrow? Then he realized that she was not wearing her uniform. He swallowed as he realized that she was in a dress or skirt or something. Whatever it was, it left her legs bare.

"Aren't you going to ask me in, Dev?" She managed to get out while she fought for air. Looking at his bare chest and wet hair, she suddenly wondered if she was going to jump him the minute she got into the room. If, that is, she managed to actually get into the room. Dev seemed as stunned as she was.

She smiled slightly as she finally managed to drag her eyes away from the expanse of male chest in front of her. This made no sense. She saw male chests all the time, and they didn't affect her like this. What in the world was wrong with her? It was them, she realized. Seeing them this way, after thinking about what she wanted to do to them.

"Devlin?"

"Oh, um, yes, of course, come in. I am afraid we are not quite ready. We, ah, just finished showering. If you will excuse us, we will, um, that is, we should, we should go," he gasped as her hands found their way to his ribs and fluttered there, "We should – go – and – get." Devlin gave up trying to talk because her lips kept capturing his as he tried to speak. Her arms went around him to pull him closer, before rearranging their positions so that one arm could wrap around his shoulder and her hand could caress his neck.

Malek came forward to grasp her hand and pull it from his neck. Shaking his head, he said, almost harshly, "You must not do that to us, Kathryn, for we do not trust ourselves. That is a very stimulating gesture for the two of us, as you know, and our control becomes quite worn after being stimulated in that manner."

"Yes, I know. I'm not asking you to control yourself, Malek. I didn't come here tonight to sit and hold your hand, nor do I want to spend the evening in the rec room. If you don't mind I think that I'd rather be here alone with you tonight."

"No. I do not believe that would be a good idea," Malek said firmly.

Kathryn blinked. They'd been trying for several days to get her into their bed. Now that she was here and offering, he was saying no?

"Malek, you've been trying to, ah, seduce me for days. Now that I'm willing to be seduced, why are you saying no?" She asked quietly.

"Why tonight, Kathryn? Why are you here now?"

Looking into his eyes, she realized that only the complete truth would suffice. "Because you'll never believe that I went to bed with you because I wanted to, if I wait until after tonight. I would always regret doing that to you. And," she paused looking down, feeling suddenly unsure of herself and almost shy, "and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you and I had never made love to you and Devlin. I want you both; I don't want to live my life wondering, regretting that I never made love to you when I could have done so."

Malek frowned slightly, "Made love?"

Realizing what she'd said, she clarified, "I'm sorry. That is what we tend to call it. I should have said _mated._ I would always regret not having mated with you if something happened, or if I waited until during the mission and left you feeling that I did it because of our respective positions."

"I see."

She cocked her head and looked at him for a long moment before asking, "Do you? Do you really understand?"

"I believe I do. You have given this a great deal of thought and come to the logical conclusion that you should mate with us, so that if you find yourself _overcome_ by _passion_ while we are on the mission, I will not have to either worry about why you mated with me or regret giving into my own passions for you. It is a noble sacrifice on your part, but no, thank you. I do not take an unwilling woman to my bed, not now, and not ever. If we should ever go to bed together, it will be because we are both burning with passion and desire for one another, not because we have coldly calculated the cause and effect," he said bitterly.

Kathryn gasped aloud and Malek heard it echoed by Devlin within him. _"Are you out of your mind, Malek? Why are you doing this to us and to her?"_

_"I do not take unwilling women to my bed, Devlin, you just heard me tell her so. I am not an object for her charity."_

_"Well, I happen to care for her and want her, so you can just damn well go away and become dormant."_

_"No. I will not allow her to use us in this way."_

_"Well, I will, and it is my body to use as I see fit."_

_"I will not allow you to be used in this manner. It is a body we share, and I do not wish it put to this use."_

They were brought out of their internal spat by Kathryn's voice, saying, "You arrogant jerk. Of all the asinine things to say that takes the cake. If I was unwilling, I wouldn't be here." Before Malek realized what she was going to do she brought her hand up and slapped him as hard as she could. Feeling the stinging in her palm, she shook her hand and snapped, "I should have decked you instead, you ass."

As she whirled away from him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, holding her tightly against his chest. "Let go of me," she snarled as she attempted to twist free of his hands.

"No. How dare you strike me?" he hissed as his eyes flared and he pulled her around to face him. He glared down at her before lowering his head and taking her lips in a searing kiss, even as she struggled and attempted to stop him. It was not a kiss of passion, but of punishment. There was no tenderness, no caring, nothing but mastery and possession, fueled by pure unadulterated male ego, anger, and hurt pride.

When he raised his head, he was surprised to see tears in her eyes and blood on her lips, where he had nipped her and crushed her lips with his. He blinked and released her, turning away before choking, "I am sorry. That was uncalled for."

Kathryn looked at him in puzzlement. What had just happened in this room? What had happened in his head to cause him to take her remarks in the way that he had? She walked slowly across the room and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him, no longer angry, only confused.

"Malek, what just happened? Why did you get angry at me for wanting to mate with you? Did I do something against some Tok'Ra rule that I'm not aware of? Am I not supposed to give in to you? Is that what these last few days were about? Have you been testing me or something, to see if I'm unworthy or unacceptable because I agree to bed you? If so, I'm sorry that I failed your test. I thought you wanted me to give in, that it was what you and Dev have been wanting."

"I wished for you to come to me because you wanted me as badly as I wanted you, not because it was some logical decision you had arrived at," he said quietly. "Whatever my feelings, I had no right to treat you as I did. I should have let you leave. I am sorry."

"I shouldn't have called you names or slapped you. I've never done anything like that before in my life." She paused, and then whispered, "But then, I've never been so hurt and humiliated before, either."

Malek spun around to stare at her, a surprised look on his face. "It was not my intention to make you feel either, nor do I know why you would feel either of those emotions."

She shook her head. "Malek, I don't just jump into bed with any man who comes along, even if I'm attracted to him. I'm not made that way, and I just can't do it. I need to have an emotional involvement. I've wanted you from the moment that I met you. I've thought about you, dreamed about you, and I was thrilled to death when I was assigned as your escort. I thought that you'd finally noticed me as a woman, that you wanted me. I've had to fight with myself every night not to jump into this bed with you, and I thought that you wanted me here. When I realized that I would be devastated if something happened to you, I knew that it didn't matter anymore if you loved me or not. All I wanted was to ensure that I had no regrets, and that you had none, either."

"I felt that if I didn't make love to you tonight, that is, mate with you, but gave in and did so while we were on the mission, you would never believe that it was simply because I couldn't deny you or myself what we both wanted. I didn't want you to feel that way, and I didn't want to have to live with knowing that I made you feel that way. I know that you would never believe it was because I really wanted you, needed you, not because I felt compelled to."

"I didn't arrive at my decision in a cold, calculating, logical way. It was one of the most emotion driven decisions I've ever made. I'm hurt that you could even think I would coldly calculate what to do with no emotion driving me, and I'm humiliated because it seems that I was wrong, and you weren't really interested in me. Evidently, I was just some game that you were playing, an amusing way for you to pass the time, and if you could get me in your bed, then you could brag that you'd had a Tau'ri. I guess I should've known."

Kathryn stood and began to walk to the door. "I'm going to go find Selmak and ask him to reassign me. It'll be hard enough feeling this way every time I see you, without actually having to be near you. I can't work with you on this mission. Not now that I know how you really see me."

Malek stepped in front of her.

"Please let me pass, Malek. I can't stay here now, and I have things that I need to do before morning."

"Yes, you do," he said softly, as he reached out a hand and lifted her face so that he could see her eyes. "I am so sorry, Kathryn. I took everything the wrong way. I did not see the situation from your point of view. I made a situation, forced you into it, and yet, I left you no way out of it. Nor did I realize what you meant when you were telling me of not wishing to regret not mating with me. My own insecurities led me to believe that what you meant was that you wished to be able to say that you had bedded a Tok'Ra, a symbiote. I thought you simply wished to satisfy your curiosity about our sexuality, our passions. I did not take your word to truly mean what you said, and it made me angry."

Kathryn frowned. "I do want to mate a symbiote. I love you, Malek, just as much as I love Devlin." Kathryn gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. She closed her eyes, cursing herself. She had never meant them to know that she had fallen in love with them. Damn, damn, damn.

Hearing nothing from Malek, she risked a peek at him. It was obvious that he was having an internal conversation, and whatever they were saying must have been pleasant, because Malek was smiling slightly. He reached up and removed her hand from her mouth.

"All of this could have been avoided if you had just said that first," he said quietly. Then, slowly lowering his mouth toward hers, he whispered softly, "We love you, too."

* * *

"So, what color of Jeannie outfit did you choose?" Major Carter asked of Lieutenant Donovan. 

"Oh, um, green, the dark green. I didn't realize that there was so little to these when I bought them," she replied.

"Ah, yes, I noticed that myself the first time I put mine on. Thank all the powers that be that they fit under our uniforms. At least, we aren't wearing them here in the Gateroom. I can guarantee you that I'd be wrapped in the cloak if we were. Completely. Tightly."

Kathryn giggled. "You're telling me. I looked in the mirror the first time I put one of them on and almost fainted. Talk about barely there." She smiled again, before continuing. "I wonder what Malek and Devlin are going to think of them. Have you shown them to Martouf and Lantash?"

Sam smiled as she picked up the backpack and shoulder bags that would be going. The equipment and personnel that would be kept at the base camp on the staging planet were ready to go through as soon as the gate engaged. "Nope. That will be a surprise for them, too. Notice that I said surprise, not shock…but I think that they might be both surprised and shocked."

Kathryn silently agreed. She wasn't sure that Malek and Dev wouldn't take one look at her and bundle her off somewhere.

As the event horizon stabilized after the initial vortex was formed, the group turned and looked up at General Hammond. He nodded. "MALP telemetry is good. Nothing looks unusual. You all know your mission…bring her to her new home with the Tok'Ra. Good luck, people. You have a go." General Hammond said over the speakers. They nodded. They would do their best. The rather large group made their way into the event horizon and stepped out at the other end.

Jacob Carter looked around. Nothing had changed since they had been here, as far as he could tell. Nonetheless, he directed his soldiers to do a sweep of the place. It didn't take long, and it was quickly secured. They made their way into the room with the mirror and began their preparations. Within a couple of hours, they would be giving the last instructions to the field unit left guarding the mirror.

If they weren't back by the appointed time, the objects that they had chosen were to be placed in front of the mirror and they were to leave. Under no circumstances were anyone to come after them. If something went wrong and they didn't make it back, so be it. They had one shot at this, and they wouldn't risk anyone else. They would return when and if they could. They found a place to hide the GDO. They wouldn't take one through with them.

Anise found what appeared to be the correct reality. It had been very close on the dial. The four female lo'tars discarded their uniforms as did the males. Several of the men looked like they could begin drooling at any moment. Malek was almost rigid for a moment and Lantash came forward and said something to Major Carter that had her blushing. Kathryn watched Malek take a deep breath and close his eyes. He shook his head obviously answering Devlin.

Walking to her, Malek leaned toward her so that no one could overhear him. "Devlin wishes to wrap you in your cloak or turn you over his knee and spank you. He considered leaving you behind, until he realized that all of these soldiers have now seen you in this clothing. Once that thought entered his mind, he realized that leaving you behind was not a viable alternative. He is deciding on your punishment as we speak, and at the moment, he is leaning toward his knee. I can think of more pleasurable punishments myself, and I am sure that I can convince him to use one of them, instead. Possibly. He is very unhappy about your clothing, or rather the, ah, lack of it, but as you are all dressed the same, he can say nothing. Personally, I find them quite charming." He grinned at her and walked back to Jacob.

Captain Adams caught Jacob's eye and smiled brightly. She was pretty sure that he blushed. And he looked more than once. Sometimes, life was really, really good. They watched as Selmak and Lantash touched the mirror and appeared on the other side. That always seemed so weird to see. Those on this side continued to gather and recheck supplies. They couldn't make mistakes and leave important supplies behind. There would be no coming back for things once they had passed through the Stargate on the other side of the mirror.

If it appeared to Lantash and Martouf to be the correct reality, then they would signal those on the other side of the mirror to send the rest through. They could see them talking. Selmak signaled for Malek to come through. They stood talking for a moment, signaled to the others to stay put, and then split up obviously doing a quick reconnaissance of the area.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they reconvened and compared notes. The place was deserted. Beyond what was left of the storage room was a somewhat damaged larger room full of artifacts, much as this one had been. Evidently, the overloading zat had destroyed a good bit of the storage room and had damaged the room beyond. Looking around they'd realized that the area they were in corresponded to another section of the rooms they had just left. They were in a different reality on the same planet. 

"If you hadn't fallen through the mirror, they wouldn't have found many pieces of you, Martouf. You and Lantash would have been splattered all over the place, so you would have achieved your purpose. Needless to say, I like the scenario we are in now better than that one."

"As do we, Jacob," Martouf agreed. "What do you think? Do we bring the others through?"

Jacob grinned, "Yeah, if we can get Daniel away from the archeological team that he talked George into sending to study and look through stuff."

"Daniel and Anise would be in your heaven if they could spend the entire time there themselves, Jacob. Do you wish me to get them?"

"Yeah, go ahead, Malek, and tell my daughter and the rest of the female lo'tars, and for that matter, the males, too, that they may as well get their cloaks out. It's damned chilly here, thank God."

Malek laughed as he turned to go back to the mirror. "Devlin thanks you for that suggestion. However, Captain Adams is a very fetching piece of femininity, Jacob. She looks delicious in her lo'tar's clothing. Are you sure that you wish to cover that with such a concealing garment?"

Jacob frowned. "We're on a mission, Malek, I don't have time for anything else, and besides, I didn't really notice."

Martouf and Malek exchanged glances and shrugged. They both knew Jacob, and they had seen the telltale pink suffuse his cheeks as Selmak allowed him to blush for being untruthful with them. He had noticed. He would have had to be dead not to, and he and Selmak were far from dead. They found the human female form as pleasing as the rest of them, and the clothing the women were wearing certainly showed off a great deal of what was pleasing. Jacob and Selmak's lo'tar, Captain Adams, was very comely and her figure was superb. Oh, yes. Jacob and Selmak had noticed.

Returning to the mirror, Malek placed his hand on it and found himself on the other side. "If you have cloaks, you will want them. The same goes for the men. The planet is the same as this one, so the temperature is about the same, also." The cool air had been seeping in as they waited, so none of them were against pulling out their cloaks.

Once they had finished, they each stepped forward and placed their hands on the mirror. It wasn't long before the remainder of their entourage made their way to the other side of the mirror. As they materialized on the other side and joined the group, they realized that Daniel was missing. Malek sighed and turned back to retrieve him, when he materialized and grinned at them, "Sorry, I had some last minute instructions, and I almost forgot one of my bags, but I've got it now. Wow, it's as chilly here as it was on the other side. I need to get my cloak." As the others laughed at him, he realized that he was the only one that didn't already have something warmer on. He grinned at them and shrugged, accepting his own absent-mindedness.

Everyone picked up whatever they needed to carry, and with one last salute toward the soldiers on the other side, they headed for the Chaappa'ai. The first leg of their journey was about to start. From what Lantash had been able to tell them, the Chaappa'ai was not at the pleasure palace, but was actually some distance away. Ra had taken a transport ship back and forth from it to the palace. The information they had was that it would be about a half a day's walk to reach it from the Gate.

The planet they had been trapped and captured on had been where they had received the last piece of information that they needed. Their informant never gave all of a message to just one person, so that even if someone questioned them, they would really know nothing. That Apophis had arrived before they could leave had been more than unfortunate; it had been a disaster.

Considering this, Jacob turned to Lantash and asked, "Did you have any Tel'taks at your last base?"

"There was one that was in working order that we used when we left there. We hid it at the last place we stayed. We had planned to return and gather our things and take it if the mission was a success. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about the half day's walk to reach this place as well as the half day's walk to return. If we need to leave in a hurry, that's a hell of a long way to have to go to get out of there. On the other hand, if we had a ship, we'd have to hide it while we were scouting the area, and from the sound of it, we'd be in hostile territory on the way to Pangara from wherever you were."

"It was just a thought. I actually prefer arriving and scouting the area out, and gathering some intel before we head for the palace anyway. And with Teal'c arriving with us, at least it won't seem as if we're just wandering around. We must be important guests, to have his first prime with us. Hopefully, no one will realize that it's a little odd that we're on foot."

"Do you wish me to go to see if it is still there, Jacob? At least we would have it if we needed it. I could land somewhere on the planet and hide it. If you went through the Chaappa'ai with part of the soldiers and I came with some of the rest, we would be split up in case one option turns out being a mistake."

"It's a thought. How long would it take to get to Pangara from your last base?"

"A day, perhaps two. Of course, we are assuming that no Goa'uld found our last hiding place and uncovered the Tel'tak. There is that risk, but we run the same risk when we arrive on Pangara. If Apophis is there, we will run into his troops at once; they will know that Teal'c is not coming through the Chaappa'ai. Either plan has inherent risk to it."

Jacob and Selmak discussed the odds and decided to split the team up. Calling the team together, he said, "Okay, here's an option that we should've thought of in the planning stage of this, but didn't. There is a Tel'tak where Lantash was staying just before their mission. He's going to return and get it. Sam, Lieutenant Donovan, and Malek will go with him." He frowned. "We should send more than you four that way. You better take Daniel and Anise with you. I'll keep Sergeant. Milton with me for the time being. He can switch back to you after we all meet up. That leaves us with Jorlin, Sergeants Richards, Milton and Wayman, Captains Harmon and Adams, and Teal'c. Six and eight is fairly evenly divided."

"Our group will return through the mirror and wait there. Teal'c will be with us. It's safer for him to spend as little time in this reality as possible, otherwise, I'd send him in the Tel'tak with them. We'll allow them time to get there, check out the ship, and return if it isn't in working condition. I wish that there was someway we could know for sure if it is going to work or if there was a welcoming committee there."

Lantash frowned. "Instead of the six of us going through now, why do we not have Sergeant Richards accompany Samantha and I? If it is clear and the Tel'tak is usable, we can have him return. It is very close to the Chaappa'ai and would take very little time. If everything appears to be in order, then when he returns, Daniel, Anise, Malek and Lieutenant Donovan can come through, and we will leave for Pangara. Sergeant Richards can return with them and see us off. Once we are gone he can return once again to let you know that we are on our way. You could wait a day or two at most and then come through the gate to our location. If we can be there before you, then we will watch the gate and pick you up for the trip to the palace, as if we were sent to do so."

Jacob nodded slowly, "That sounds good. It will take an extra day or two, but in the long run, we might just be better off. We'll send the ready team back to the SGC until day after tomorrow. That gives you two days to make it to Pangara. I think the idea of you being there to pick us up has merit. That way we also won't have to hide the ship when we go to the palace. Okay, let's do it."

Gathering their things, Sam and Sergeant Richards followed Lantash to the Chaappa'ai. They watched as he input the address and the chevrons locked. As the glistening blue pool formed, they each mentally took on their new persona. Suddenly, Martouf was gone, and in his place was a haughty system lord, and his lo'tars. As each person slipped into their role, they took a deep breath and stepped into the shimmering blueness.

Stepping out on the other side, they were relieved to see that there was no guard on the gate. If someone was here, they weren't in evidence anywhere near the Chaappa'ai. Now, if the Tel'tak was undisturbed and where they had left it, they would be good to go. A brisk twenty minute walk brought them to a wooded area. Lantash went to a group of boulders and rocks, and reaching into a well disguised niche, brought out a control of some kind.

Flicking some controls, a Tel'tak materialized about twenty yards away. They went toward it cautiously, although if it had been found, it probably would not have been shielded again.

Entering, they found everything as it had been left. As Sam checked out the engines, Lantash checked the chests with their personal belongings. They were all there and untouched. He had not expected to be able to take the time to come and retrieve these things. That Selmak had his things had made leaving them behind easier; retrieving them was a bonus. It also meant that he would no longer be coming to Samantha with nothing of his own. His personal wealth was not a great deal, but it was sufficient. He mourned the passing of the Jacob, Selmak, Malek, and Devlin of that reality, as well as all the others that had been lost, before turning back to the controls and beginning to check them.

"Everything checks out, Lantash. We're good to go."

Lantash nodded his agreement. "We will ring you down at the gate, Richards, as it will save us considerable time if the walk there and back can be cut out."

"Yes, sir, er, my lord," the Sergeant said as he tried to remember to stay in character. One thing that had been stressed to them was how imperative it was to stay in their role even when no one was around, if it made it easier to remain in their roles. He'd found that it helped if he didn't try to go back and forth, and that slip had just proved it. Lantash nodded to him, acknowledging his correction. Major Carter didn't seem to have a problem with switching back and forth.

They approached the gate, sent him down to the planet, and he activated the Chaappa'ai, then stepped into the event horizon. In very little time, Malek, Lieutenant Donovan, Daniel, Anise, and their supplies were being ringed aboard the vessel. Sergeant Richards waved and punched in the address. They watched him disappear into the event horizon once again and then turned their eyes to the skies. Soon, they were heading into the darkness of space and toward the hope for the future of the Tok'Ra.

* * *

Teal'c knelt before his lord and waited for his new orders. They had been back on Apophis's home world for several days, and it was becoming obvious that neither Lord Ba'al nor Lord Yu intended to attack him. At least, not here on his most fortified and protected world. Ria'ta had managed to whisper in his ear that perhaps they had wanted her to hear them. He had agreed, and it had passed. The girl pleased him mightily, and she had joined the ranks of those who used their wiles to control him and his temper. Most of the time it worked, and one of them always tried to be near him. 

"Teal'c, I have decided that neither Lord Ba'al nor Lord Yu will attack me here, nor do I believe that they will attempt it anywhere else, anytime soon. It matters not, as I will remain here for some time and take care of many of those small things that must be looked after to keep order within my domains. I have an errand for you to perform, however."

"Yes, My Lord. As you wish. What is it that you would have me to do?" Teal'c asked, looking up at Apophis as he was spoken to.

"I have been going over the information we have gathered on the domains that I took over when I defeated Ra. One of them is described as a pleasure palace that is beyond compare. It is on a planet which I wish to call Nargash. I believe you know of which one I speak."

"Yes, My Lord."

"I wish you to take Ria'ta, Nal'ka, and some of the other minor household servants with you, and oversee the preparations for my arrival there. Ria'ta will decorate my chambers as she knows how I like them, and she and Nal'ka shall oversee the furnishings for the remainder as well. I wish you to decide which servants to keep and which ones we do not need, if any. I do not care what you do with the ones we do not need. If they look as if they would breed well, send them to breeder camps. Ra liked boys, so there will be several there, I am sure. Do with them what you will as well."

"I wish you to check on several of my other holdings on your way. I am quite sure that Ba'al and Yu will know that I am still here. I will join you on Nargash once it is readied for me. I wish to experience this so-called wonder of Ra's. Then I will decide whether to keep it. My own pleasure worlds are many and varied, so this one will need to be very special to win my approval. We may well end up abandoning it as there is nothing of value there but the palace."

"As you wish, My Lord."

"You will leave…tomorrow, for I wish for tonight with Ria'ta. I wish to reward you for finding her, Teal'c. You have been without a wife since your woman died in childbirth. Your son is growing up. You will think of which woman you would prefer while you are gone, and when we return, I will gift her to you."

"Thank you, My Lord. I am honored."

"You have served me well." Apophis shrugged, and bored with the topic, he asked, "How is the assimilation of the outer reaches of Ra's domains progressing? Have there been any problems that I have yet to be told about?"

"There are some planets in the outer reaches that border on Lord Yu's domains that are in question, as both Ra and Lord Yu claimed them. The same can be said of several on the borders with Lord Ba'al. Both of them have taken advantage and moved to claim some previously uncontested worlds. We have sent some of our fleet to enforce our dominance in those areas. There have been no confrontations."

"Very well. Your Lieutenant will be capable of carrying out my commands in your absence. You have trained him well." Apophis frowned. "I would send him on your mission instead, but I trust you to do in my absence what I would do. I doubt he knows my wants and needs as well as you do."

Teal'c bowed his head in silent acknowledgement of his words. They were rarely given and he was pleased.

"I will be in the sarcophagus for several hours. Inform Ria'ta that I will see her at eventide."

"I will see to it, My Lord."

Teal'c stood with his head bowed until Apophis had left the room, and then proceeded to hunt for Ria'ta and Nal'ka. He found them and Jars'ia in the bathing chamber, enjoying a relaxing bath, knowing that one of them would no doubt be required for the night.

"The lord and master is taking his rest. Ria'ta you are to be in his rooms at eventide. Tomorrow, you, Nal'ka, and I, as well as some of the other household staff, will leave for a planet which my lord has decided to rename Nargash. I must stop at a few places on the way, but once we arrive, Ria'ta is to arrange his rooms as he likes them to be, and the two of you are to see to it that the remainder of the palace is also to his liking."

"It will be many days before he joins us," Teal'c said, as he gazed at Ria'ta. She blushed but busied herself with washing.

"Come, Teal'c, will you not join us?" Nal'ka asked him. "Must you hurry away this time, or do you have time for some relaxation? If he is in the sarcophagus, it will be some time before he awakes."

"Of course, you are welcome to join us, Teal'c. You might as well relax before you finish your errands, and I will be keeping him occupied tonight, so you need not worry that he will require your attendance before you can complete your tasks," Ria'ta joined Nal'ka in her attempt to get him to join them.

Pleased at the thought, Teal'c slowly began to undress. "It does sound very good to me. I just returned from the mines, and that is always a dark, dank, dirty atmosphere. I was glad to return to the stronghold."

"Then come along, our warrior, and we will wash your back and give you a much-needed massage. I am sure that you can appreciate the finer points of it, can you not?" Nal'ka whispered as her lips trailed across his shoulder to his throat. "You deserve some rewards for keeping us safe as well, Teal'c. Come, let us pleasure you while we have the time. Corsu is in the hall and would raise the alarm if we needed to remove ourselves, so that you appeared to be alone. It will not happen, though, for he never comes sooner than eventide, and that is a long time away."

Ria'ta moved to stand in front of him as Jars'ia took his other side. "Come, little one, it is your turn to have the pleasure of our Teal'c," Jars'ia said softly, as she kissed his other shoulder. The two older women began a slow massage on his shoulders and chest as Ria'ta came to him. He sighed.

He would miss this when he had to take a wife. Unfortunately, when Apophis said he should choose, he did not mean from his personal harem. It was too bad, for Ria'ta had captivated him as much as she had Apophis. What was more, he knew that if she had a choice, she would choose to be with him. There was no point in repining, however, for it would only hurt both of them.

So, he would have her this time, and perhaps as they went to Nargash to prepare the palace for their Lord. After that, well, perhaps he could put off choosing a wife. He could always hope Apophis would forget his promise.

He opened his eyes and saw his thoughts reflected in her eyes. Yes, she wanted him, as he wanted her. He suspected the other two women knew of their feelings for one another, for it seemed that recently it was always Ria'ta's _turn_ to pleasure their Teal'c.

He smiled slightly and sighed softly again as he allowed himself to become lost in her body as she surrounded him.

TBC


	10. Let the Games Begin 10 WDL

___**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise _

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works.My web address is in my bio.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

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* * *

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_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**Let the Games Begin **_

* * *

Anise, Daniel, Sam, and Kathryn sorted through the supplies. They couldn't bring MRE's for fear that they would be seen and recognized as being Tau'ri. So instead, the Tok'Ra had suggested some things, and they went back to the bazaar and bought food for the mission. It seemed odd to be off-world without the chicken flavored military food. Sam cut a piece of the meat, which was similar to jerky, but not quite as hard, and tasted it. Looking up at Kathryn she said, straight-faced, "Chicken. Even off-world survival food tastes like chicken." 

Kathryn dissolved into giggles, and Daniel grinned at them. Anise, Malek, and Lantash looked at them with questions in their eyes until Lantash suddenly smiled and said, "I remember now. Daniel told us about the trip to Abydos where the food tasted like chicken, and how later he had discovered that all military food tasted the same as well." Seeing the questioning look that Malek sent him, he clarified, "Chicken is an edible fowl that is eaten often on the Tau'ri world. Daniel Jackson swears that all military food, regardless what is claimed on the package, tastes like chicken."

"I see," Malek replied, although he looked unconvinced.

"I'll prove it to you when we return. I'll be sure you try chicken and then some MRE's from our packs. You'll see," Kathryn told him solemnly.

"I will see to it that you do." Smiling at one another, they finished their light meal.

They had been in flight for several hours and so far the ship was having no problems, which was good since they were in hostile territory almost anywhere they went. Sam watched Lantash as he and Malek discussed the options they would have once they reached their destination. The ship could be cloaked, so they would be able to come in low and find a good place to land it, they hoped, close to the Chaappa'ai.

Both men were tense and it radiated from them in their posture and gestures as they stood and talked. That this undertaking was of immense importance to them both was obvious, and their determination to succeed fairly screamed at anyone who was even halfway observant. Kathryn and Sam sat watching them silently and Anise and Daniel, realizing that Malek and Lantash were deeply occupied, indicated to the two women that they were going into the back to begin going over the data they had retrieved on the base planet prior to stepping through the mirror.

"Okay, good-night, Daniel. Good-night, Anise. Someone will wake you for your shift," Sam quietly.

Daniel nodded saying, "No problem. We're only going to start to categorize some of this for now, and then during our shift we can delve a little deeper."

"We do not need as much sleep as you do, so we will be fine, however, we will be certain that Daniel is well rested, therefore, I will wish you both a good-night and pleasant dreams," Anise murmured as she turned toward the back of the ship. Daniel grinned at the two women, winked, and turned to follow her. Sam and Kathryn shook their heads and grinned. Daniel was slowly changing Anise…for the better.

Turning back to their favorite pastime, they continued to watch the two men silently, not willing to interrupt their interaction. Although Malek, Devlin, Martouf, and Lantash knew each other well, still they were not exactly the same people the other had known, and this time together was good for both of them. They needed this time to forge a new and deeper bond. Just as she, Martouf, and Lantash had needed time to discover the differences in each other and learn to accept them and realize that they loved one another anyway.

Sam had discovered that there were differences in this Martouf and Lantash. Nothing major, and nothing jarring, yet it did remind her that they were not the same men she had known before. She found herself falling in love all over again, and it was a wonderful feeling. She had long ago figured out that her love of them was her own and owed nothing to Jolinar. Jolinar's feelings deepened and enhanced her own. They gave her memories of things that she had never experienced except in her mind, but which, nonetheless, added dimensions to her love of them.

Now, these new differences were adding even more new dimensions to that love. If it was possible she loved them more now than she had before. If something happened to them she would be inconsolable. She was not sure she could survive if it happened again. The pain that ripped through her chest at just the thought of losing them stopped her breath.

She felt Kathryn's hand on her arm and opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them. She gave her a smile, saying, "Sorry, my mind was wandering. Did I miss something?"

"No, they are still talking. You looked as if your world had just ended. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just playing scenarios through my head of things that could go wrong. Not the type of positive thinking I should be doing. I need to be going over our duties as lo'tars instead. That's more important right now," Sam replied as she took herself firmly in hand and turned away from thoughts of the two men in her life and back to the present situation.

"We've been practicing serving and all of the other things that go along with being a lo'tar for the last few days. I think we have most of it down pretty good. I have to admit, though that I have trouble saying "_My Lord_" unless I pretend to be playing a game," Kathryn giggled as she said the last part.

Sam smiled back at her and laughed, "Yeah, me too. I guess if it works it won't hurt to use it. I've been pretending I'm playing a game or living a fantasy to be able to say it, too. That's the only way I can do it without laughing. Maybe we'll actually get to really act it out at some point."

"Well, that _might_ be exciting. Or, it could be _very _embarrassing depending on what game we are playing at the time," Kathryn choked out, cheeks flaming, showing exactly what her mind was thinking.

Sam laughed, and then gasped as she realized that Lantash was looking at her. As her cheeks reddened, his eyebrows rose as if asking what she was embarrassed about.

Drawing a deep breath she turned her back to him and said to Kathryn, "I think Lantash and Malek are having more trouble treating us as lo'tars than we are having _being_ lo'tars, don't you?"

Behind her Lantash caressed her shoulder. Not having heard him come up behind her, she jumped as he asked, "Is this what the two of you have been discussing? Yes, I suppose we do have a problem seeing you as lo'tars. We love you too much to see you as such."

Turning to him, Sam chided Lantash gently, "Forget I'm your mate. I'm not your wife during this mission. If you have to get into the role and stay there for it to work, I understand, but we have to do something so that you two are more comfortable with us acting as your lo'tars."

"I do not believe that will be necessary, Samantha. I believe that we will be more comfortable when we are in a position where we must immerse ourselves into the roles we are playing. You do not realize it, but we dislike acting the part of System Lords, or their satellites even though acting as Goa'uld is what we must do. The attitude and thinking is contrary to our beliefs, but we have enough of the Goa'uld traits that we can do it and do it very naturally. I believe the fact that we can do it so easily is what we find the most disturbing about it," Malek said quietly, in his rather thoughtful way.

"Yes, I'm sure it is, Malek, and I can understand where it would be disturbing, but, you know, if you were going to be corrupted and suddenly turn, I think it would have happened long before now. And that is really what you are afraid of, isn't it?" Sam asked quietly.

He gazed at her for long moments before stating, just as quietly, "Yes, I believe that you are correct. Perhaps that is a fear we all have deep down."

"The fact that you have those feelings should tell you that you won't be subverted by them. You are much too aware of them to allow that to happen. One of the things I admire the most about the Tok'Ra is your ability to be so very focused and dedicated to your cause. It takes a great deal of determination to fight a war for two thousand years. You have earned the respect you are given... unlike the Goa'uld who simply demand it and therefore get no true respect."

"I agree, Malek. I was impressed by your dedication and your single-minded determination to defeat the Goa'uld before I noticed your ah," Kathryn cleared her throat, "_other assets_." She smiled at him as she let her eyes roam his form. "Now, I admire them as well." She stopped teasing him, and stated, "Seriously, Malek, I meant what I said. I did admire you before anything else ever entered my mind. I want you to know that. I liked you and was drawn to you for who and what you are before anything else."

"Thank you, both of you. It is pleasant to be told such things, and it is encouraging to know that you trust us."

"You're welcome, Malek. You deserve to be told that who you are and what you do is worthwhile and appreciated." Sam stood and winked at them. "Well, I think, since we have first shift, I'll go with "My Lord and Master" to keep him company. Maybe I'll sit at his feet and worship him. Or maybe, I'll find an even better place to sit."

"Well, Major, er, Samantha, you could always kneel in front of him and _worship_ him from there. That way you could look up _worshipfully_ into his eyes," Kathryn said, as she batted her own lashes.

Sam laughed at her as she turned to head towards the controls with Lantash. "I'll consider your advice, - Kathryn." She frowned, and stopping to look back at them, she asked, "Didn't we talk about changing our names? What was decided about that, or did we ever come to a conclusion?"

"It was decided that it would be difficult enough without the added stress of having to use false names. As it is you are having trouble using names instead of your military rank when speaking to one another. You paused before you said Kathryn and Kathryn keeps calling you Major before she changes it. You should use each others names as often as you can until it becomes natural, just as using My Lord for us must become natural."

Sam nodded, "I agree. That seems to be one of our weak points. We'll need to be more careful."

After she left, Malek turned to Kathryn, "Come to me, my lo'tar, and show me your passion. Come and pleasure your Lord."

"Yes, My Lord. It will be _my_ pleasure," she responded lightly. Then sobering, she laid her hand on his arm and looked into his face. "I'm very glad we learned to love one another last night, Malek. Now I can be your love slave and you will know it is because I want to." She smiled at him and added, "Because I am looking forward to that, please believe me."

"I do, Kathryn. I, too, am happy that we made love to one another before this mission. Now that I know your words for mating, I will say that making love is truly what we did, and the Tau'ri expression is a better description than that of the Tok'Ra." Drawing her into his arms, he breathed, "And now, I am commanding you to show me your passion, my love."

She watched as his lips neared hers. Her heartbeat quickened and she breathed very softly, "It will be as you wish and desire, My Lord. I will be most pleased to make love to you."

* * *

Sam watched Daniel as he frowned down at the papers that were spread around him. Malek and Kathryn were in the front at the controls. Anise was napping. She and Lantash had recently finished another stint at the controls and Lantash had decided to go ahead and take a shower. Sam had already taken hers and was waiting for him to finish his, but the puzzled look on Daniel's face was intriguing her. She got up, walked over to where he was sitting, and took a seat beside him. 

"Hey, Daniel."

"Hey, Sam."

"What's causing that furrow between your brows, Daniel? You know, the one that sometimes leads to my stomach tying itself into knots while letting little balls of acid do a tap dance? Something not as it should be?"

"No, it's not. In fact, it isn't making sense to me at all."

Realizing that Daniel was truly puzzled about whatever he was looking at, she offered, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Maybe, Sam. Yeah, actually, there is. I know you went to Pangara and saw where they found Egeria. It was near to the Stargate, right? I haven't made a mistake in where she was found?"

"Yeah, it was. Not far from it at all. What are you thinking?"

"Well, we've assumed that she was buried under his palace, but there was no palace there. Not only that, but in this reality, on the world we are going to, from what Lantash and Martouf have told us, the palace is a good half day's walk from the gate. So, it doesn't add up. I hope the person that sent the message is still there. Otherwise we may look all over the palace for nothing. She may be buried at a completely separate place. This is not good."

Sam sighed as she realized that Daniel was right, but at least this was not exactly stomach churning news, so it could relax now, no knots, no dancing. Nodding her head in agreement, she said, "Okay, we know that he buried her before he abandoned the planet, but - he hadn't yet abandoned it in this reality, so the chances lean toward her still being somewhere in the palace, right?"

Daniel grimaced. "Well, we'd better hope so, because we didn't bring any shovels, and besides that, it would look distinctly odd and suspicious for guests of the "Lord of the Manor" to order their slaves to dig up the dirt around the Chaappa'ai, the front lawn, the formal gardens, or anywhere else on the planet."

Catching the last part of Daniel's comment as he came back into their section of the ship, Lantash asked, "Why would we want our slaves to dig in the dirt, Daniel?"

"Sam and I were discussing where we might find Egeria. On Pangara in our reality, she was found in an underground area, but there was no palace there and it was near the Stargate. From what you've told us, Ra's palace is quite far away from it. I'm just thinking that if he did already entomb her, then we might have to figure out a way to find the place and get into it. Hopefully, she will still be in the palace."

"You say it was near the Chaappa'ai?"

"Yes, quite near to it."

"There is the possibility that he put her into a section of an escape tunnel. Many palaces have them and they often have rooms and sections that are used for other things. Would it be possible that is what she was in?"

Sam and Daniel looked at each other as they both tried to remember exactly what the area had looked like. Finally, Sam said, "I'm not sure but it seems to me that there were other rooms and passages in the area. You were there at a later time, Daniel. Do you remember?"

Daniel nodded, saying, "Yes, I remember that, too. I was only there for a short time. I took them some texts that I thought might prove useful after I read the report and realized what they needed. They gave me a quick tour of part of the area they were excavating and there were numerous passageways as well as chambers of various sizes."

"If he did put her into a room in the escape tunnels, we should be able to access them from the palace. I am hoping our informant is still there, although I think it is doubtful after all this time. I believe that he would have waited for us to come and after a few days he would have left assuming we could not manage it. No doubt he heard the news that the Tok'Ra had all been killed as well. Once Ra was defeated, and then the news of our deaths reached him, he probably left to return to his home, and who can blame him?"

"I wouldn't," Daniel agreed. Still thinking about the upcoming search, he asked Lantash, "Do you have any idea at all where he might have put her? What she would be in? An unexplainable, inexplicable feeling? Anything at all?"

Lantash shook his head, saying, "Not really, Daniel, I am sorry. She could be on display or hidden deep in the bowels of the palace. She might be buried, or she might just be sitting around on a shelf. There is no telling where she could be."

Daniel sighed, nodding his understanding. "It's too bad the Goa'uld don't have a recognizable pattern when it comes to doing away with others of their kind, but their methods seem to be numerous and varied."

"A very true observation, Daniel. Unfortunately, we will not have any type of lead with which to start our search, and we will have to be somewhat circumspect, since word could be sent to Apophis of our arrival if we arouse the servant's suspicions about anything."

"Was the information your informant sent in code, or did it just say things straight out?"

"He always sent it in a form of prose or poetry. That way if it fell into the wrong hands, it would make no sense even if the person told what it said. That is how we understood that Egeria was there and alive, although it never said her name."

"Really. Now that's interesting." Daniel leaned forward as the information caught his attention. "Do you have any of the messages here, Lantash? This might be important."

"I have it memorized. We did not write it down for fear of someone finding it. However, as I said, we probably could have, for no one was likely to understand it."

"How did it go? I want to write it down to see if there might be some clues in it."

"It was in the form of a poem. It was entitled _One Day I Met Your Mother._ I shall recite it for you."

Nestled in her chamber,

She's waiting here for thee.

Anyone could see her,

But few eyes look to see.

The mother of the new ones.

A tapestry fills your eyes.

Gone, but not forgotten,

She rests, she sleeps, near by.

For you, she will awaken,

She calls her children home.

To see the purple of the skies,

And waters white with foam.

Do not tarry longer.

Do not fail to come.

Do not deny her love of you.

Do not refuse as some.

Look into the mirror,

the mirror of her soul,

and there is where you'll find her,

waiting to come home."

"The title was the first thing we received and as each section was given to us we were also told where to go for the next one. We received the last one, as I have mentioned, on the planet we were caught on. And that courier was able to tell us more. He was one that had seen her as well. So we know that she was there and in stasis."

"Unfortunately, that is all he could tell us. He had only seen her by accident. At least, he saw her stasis chamber. At the time he first saw it, he did not know what it was. It was not until our informant found out and questioned him that he realized what he had seen. And he had no idea where she was by then. When he saw her, she was moved out of the room she had been in as they redecorated some rooms. Where she went after that he did not know."

"Well, I can't say for sure until I see the palace, but there could be a hidden meaning in the words," Daniel stated.

"We, too, thought there was more to the poem than it appeared. He had never sent such a long piece before, nor had he dwelled on a single topic as much as he did in this one. However, we never found any real meaning to it."

Daniel pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I think there is something there. Not that it comes out and tells you in specifics, but it gives us clues. It mentions water, mirrors, eyes, sleep, purple skies, children, a house, and a chamber. It could be all or part of those words. We'll know that when we find her. I'm thinking that sleep and chamber mean she is in stasis, but that the others mean something more. If we are very, very lucky, there will be a room somewhere that will make that all make sense. We should be on the look-out for it at any rate."

Yawning, Daniel closed his notebook, stood, and stretched. "I think I'm going to go join Anise and take a nap. You guys probably should, too. Malek and Kathryn have a few hours of their shift to go yet."

Sam smiled at him and stood as well. "You're right, as usual, Daniel. I think I'll go lie down as well. Maybe I can convince My Lord and Master to join me."

Daniel laughed as he headed toward the area that Anise was in. "In that case, you won't get any rest, Sam. But then, I may not either."

Sam shook her head at him, saying, "I assure you that I'll get some rest, Daniel. We all need to be fresh for this mission. We know we could be in for some very long hours if we don't find her right away."

"She is correct, Daniel. I will personally see to it that she is well rested and sleeps," Lantash commented. Taking her in his arms he kissed her softly as Daniel continued on his way toward Anise. "I love you, Samantha, my mate. Come, lie with me and we will rest…after we chase the stars."

* * *

Jacob took a deep breath and giving his group the once over one last time, he turned, stepped into the shimmering blue of the event horizon, and gave control to Selmak. The mission had begun. It had been almost two days since the rest of the team had left in the Tel'tak. Their entire complement had returned to the staging planet from Earth a couple of hours ago. The soldiers that would be remaining behind, as well as the archeological team, had returned with the team going on the mission. Now, they would find out if the team in the Tel'tak had made it to Pangara. They were also about to find out if Apophis, or any of his henchmen, were there. 

Stepping out on the other side, they realized there was nothing but a field, a few distant hills, and farm land as far as the eye could see. A path led off to the left, and they assumed that was the way to the palace as it was the more traveled. The other two that converged at the gate were obviously not well used.

Standing on the dais of the Stargate they waited to see if the Tel'tak would appear. It had not been a full two days. Selmak frowned, wondering if they had arrived before the Tel'tak. The thought that they might have had trouble on the way he pushed out of his mind. A few moments later a Tel'tac lifted above one of the hills and headed for the gate. The group walked forward and waited as it hovered above and in front of them for a moment before lowering its rings.

Once the rings swept back upwards, Malek stepped forward, saying, "We just arrived a few hours ago. We did a little reconnaissance and nothing much seems to be moving around the palace. The village is moderately busy, but the gardens and the palace seem almost deserted, at least from the air. It appears to be around the middle of the day here, though I do not know how that corresponds to the time at the staging base. We did not want to ring down for a closer look, preferring to wait so that we would all arrive together on the Tel'tak."

Selmak nodded, "Very good. We will ring aboard and go to the palace now. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can start our search."

They moved together and the rings descended. Two trips later and they and their equipment were all in the Tel'tak. Lantash was at the controls, and Daniel was waiting with his information. It would take almost no time to arrive at the palace and he wanted to let them know what they thought they might have figured out during their flight.

"We talked on our way here and Lantash was able to remember the poem their informant sent to tell them about Egeria. He also told us that this poem was much longer than normal and that they had felt that it might be trying to tell them more details about where she was hidden." He handed out copies of the poem that they had written up before he proceeded.

"You'll notice that I've highlighted words that we felt could be clues at to where she was. If we're lucky, we'll find a room with all of these things in it. If not, then we'll have to go on instinct. It'll no doubt be a room by room search. It seems logical that she would be in a room somewhere unless he has already buried her, and this doesn't sound as if he had. We wanted you all to have this so you could be letting it sink in and maybe start to mull it over. Later we'll discuss what it could mean, but not right now."

"I agree, Daniel, this does seem as if it is trying to tell us something. I definitely think we should try to figure out if there is a room somewhere that has all of these things in it." Selmak agreed as he looked over the words that were highlighted.

"We have arrived," Lantash announced. "I am going to land and leave the ship here. Is everyone ready to begin?"

The group agreed and picked up the supplies piled up earlier in expectation of leaving the ship. They had been staying in character most of the time so it seemed much more natural to them now. They fell into their appointed places as Teal'c opened the door.

Lantash took some controls for the Tel'tak and hid them in a group of stones. If something went wrong, and they needed to escape, their opponents would not get the control to open the Tel'tak's doors. They could still get into it, but it would take them longer. At any rate, they would no doubt leave it there for some time and if they could manage to escape, they would be able to access it themselves again.

After he returned to the group, they strolled in the direction of the palace which was now no more than a few hundred yards away.

They walked in leisurely silence toward the main entry. As they neared it, Teal'c broke into speech as if he was answering an inquiry. "I believe so, My Lord Selmak. Now that we are at the palace, we can find out what accommodations there are. I am sorry that we have never been here before, but we have heard that it is magnificent. My Lord Apophis," Teal'c continued as he walked up the steps to the door that had opened, "wished me to make a preliminary check of the palace and as he wished you to be entertained in his absence, he hoped this would suffice until he could arrive."

Selmak gazed at the open foyer, large marble statues, and the huge stairways reaching upward to the second and third stories, with disdain. "Yes, well, that is yet to be seen. Hopefully, we will find enough to occupy us in the meantime."

Teal'c bowed and turned to the servant holding the door open who was looking at the group in astonishment, "My Lord's guests require apartments. Are they ready?" Teal'c asked with a hint of steel in his voice, which told the boy the answer had better be yes.

The young servant seemed to shrink back against the wall, "I am sorry, but your message said you would not be here for at least seven days. It is only one and a half days, my Lord, so we were not expecting you to arrive for several more days. Nor did you mention a group of guests. All you mentioned were some servants and slave girls that would be coming to redo the rooms for Lord Apophis." His voice shook.

"They will be arriving later. Lord Apophis was called away from his guests and suggested they might like to come here until he returned. No further message was deemed necessary, nor should it have been. See that each of his Lordship's guests have suites as well as rooms for their lo'tars."

"Yes, my Lord. At once, my Lord," he bowed toward Selmak and almost ran from the room. The group exchanged glances. None had missed the information. Teal'c, this reality's Teal'c, was on his way here. They only had a few days at most.

Another young man appeared almost immediately and introduced himself, "I am Peris, and if you wish for anything, I will see that you have it. Looking at the group, he then calmly requested, "If you will please follow me? There are always several suites and adjoining rooms that are ready in case they are needed. Lord Ra often had unexpected guests to stay, and it was expected that the rooms be habitable immediately. The young man who answered the door is fairly new and was not aware of that. I apologize for the misunderstanding, and I will see to it that he is made aware of his error."

He made his explanation as he led them up one of the large staircases and then down a hall. He began opening doors and then turned to them. "You may choose which ever rooms you please in this hall and on this floor. If none of them are suitable, there are others that could be made ready at once. Please let us know your choices, or if you would prefer to see other rooms from which to choose. If these are acceptable, and we know who is in each room, we will be able to deliver any thing you may want or need more quickly." He turned to Teal'c and said, "The Jaffa's quarters are down another hall. I will take you there."

"No," Selmak said abruptly. "I wish him to be closer than that. He will take a room here among us. I do not like to be kept waiting. Ever." He sent a look to the young man that said '_and you better remember that_'," before turning to look at the rooms. Turning back around, he asked, "There is a sarcophagus?"

"Yes, My Lord. There are two. One in the room at the end of this hall and one downstairs in the third ante-chamber off the grand entrance hall. Ah, and there is also one in Lord Ra's personal chambers. I had forgotten it as no one used it except for him. It is also available for use if you wish. It is in the central wing, as his entire suite of chambers were there, and it is in the chamber of the third door on the left."

"Very well. Bring food to our lo'tars for our evening meal." Selmak said bluntly and then turned back to looking at the rooms. He sighed as he turned around. "They will do. Not what we are accustomed to, but we knew that without a host we would be on our own and things would not be at their best. Send the food. You may leave."

Bowing, Paris accepted his dismissal with good grace and barely concealed relief.

The group quickly sorted out the rooms.

"I will take this largest room since it would be expected," Selmak decided as he looked around it. Sam you and Lantash will stay together, of course. The rest of you should sort out your sleeping arrangements. My lo'tars need to stay in the rooms on either side of me. The same goes for the rest of you. Put your lo'tars into a room near you unless they are staying in the room with you."

Malek nodded, "Kathryn will be staying with us, Selmak."

Selmak was not surprised, so he just sent a small smile in their direction.

"I'll be staying with Anise," Daniel added. Again, no one was surprised. It didn't take long for every one to know where they would be staying. The two female Lo'tars could share a room as could the two men. All of the rooms connected so it worked out that they could all be near their respective Lords.

They went to their rooms to clean up and put their things away. It had been around midday when they arrived so they would have enough time to arrange their belongings, have a meal, make plans, and discuss what they did and did not know so far.

They agreed to meet in Selmak's room. They would eat there and discuss where to start on their project. With only five days, at most, they would have to work very quickly. Of course, if they were lucky, the mission would be completed long before their five days were up. However, everyone knew that Lady Luck was both fickle and undependable. It would be better to depend on their wits and abilities. If luck came their way that would be well and good, but they would count it a bonus.

* * *

Sam looked thoughtful as they sat around and discussed the project. "What's the matter, Sam? You've been pondering something for quite a while." Daniel had become aware of Sam's preoccupation during the meal and it was continuing. 

"I was thinking about Teal'c and the servants arriving in five days. I just feel like he may turn up sooner than they expect him. And none of us can afford to be seen by him. He thinks we are all dead including Daniel and me. Only a few of us could afford to be seen. I doubt if this reality's Teal'c kept track of all the Tau'ri that were killed. But even that is a moot point because the servants will tell him that the others were with him and blow their cover story wide open. So in reality even they can't be caught."

"We can not take a chance on either Apophis or Teal'c seeing Malek, Jacob, myself, Daniel, or you, Samantha," Lantash pointed out. "Particularly not you. He would keep you forever, my Samantha, and that I could not bear."

"I'd take my own life before I let that happen, Lantash, I promise you. If you cannot have me then no one will." Sam smiled her reassurance to him.

"We will do our best to see that they do not find us, and please believe that I would never leave you in his possession, Major Carter." Teal'c was his stoic best. What went on behind those enigmatic dark eyes no one knew.

"Thanks, Teal'c. I'll do my best not to be seen. And really, nothing has changed except that we know without a doubt that this Teal'c will be here soon, so I don't know why I was even thinking about it. There's no point in it. We need to do what you guys are doing, not what I was doing. So…where were we?"

Lantash nodded, accepting her statement and returned to the subject at hand, "I would say we could just lay low and come back after he leaves, but once we disappear before our supposed host arrives, it would appear odd if we suddenly returned after he departed." He reminded them.

"I think we should focus our thinking on finding her. If we get down to the wire, and still have not found her, then we will have to cross that bridge. Let us see how things go first. I think we have a good chance of finding her," Selmak pointed out.

"I agree, Selmak. We will have to find her. We have no other choice. Knowing that, we should set our plans in motion and aim to have accomplished our mission within five days, less if we can do it." Lantash brooded somberly as old memories were brought forward.

"Does anyone have any ideas on how or where to start our search?"

"I am not sure, Selmak, but do you think that he might have kept her in his private rooms? It would not surprise me if he did," Lantash spoke up.

"That is true. From what we knew of our Ra, that would fit his personality. But, he also might have her on display downstairs and even labeled. That is what I fear. That he has put her someplace on display to show off that he captured her. In that case, if Apophis comes, and we do not find her, he very well could." Malek's voice was its usual quiet and solemn tones, but they were laced with unease.

"I agree, Malek. I, too, fear this. It is the reason that we tried to get to her when we should have stayed out of sight and waited for Apophis to leave. We might have succeeded if we had," Lantash pointed out their reasoning, which matched his.

"What you are saying is true, so we need to start a search of every room in this place, including Ra's rooms. We can start with the rooms we are sleeping in. It seems unlikely that she would be here, but one never knows, and there is no reason we can not look them over well tonight. Tomorrow we start on the other rooms. His throne room, his personal suites, the suite where his sarcophagus is, all would be prime places for him to display her. We need to check them all. Chambers where petitioners or visitors would wait to be allowed into his presence would also be a logical place to put her." Selmak frowned as he contemplated all the places she could be.

"Lantash did you notice the informant that sent the messages? Is he still here?" Anise wanted to know as she suddenly remembered that they had inside information that had led them here.

"If he is still here, I have not seen him. My guess is that if he could escape without the few Jaffa that are here realizing what he was doing, he would have done so. I believe he was planning his escape even as he sent the information to us. That could be why the poem is so long. I believe he probably planned to stay for a reasonable length of time after he sent the last message and if we did not come, he planned to leave, but in case we were only delayed, he made sure we had some information to go on. Once he heard of our deaths, he would have left knowing we would not be coming," Lantash laid out his reasons for assuming he was gone.

Selmak nodded, and his voice was sympathetic as he said, "I agree, Lantash. If I had the chance to escape this type of place, knowing Ra's weakness for young boys and men, I would take the chance to escape before the next one could get a hold of me, too."

"I still think the poem has some meaning that we are missing. I'm hoping it will come to us when we see it, but that's a long shot. I wish he could have been more specific. I mean, there just isn't a lot to go on here." Frustration colored his voice, for Daniel was obviously feeling that they were missing something.

"We really have not had a lot of time to look at it, Daniel, but maybe we should take more time to do so now. We should probably memorize it and then burn the written copies. Although, they are in English, so I doubt if anyone here could read them," Selmak noted. "Jacob and I both agree on that."

"That's why I wrote them in English. I figured that if anyone found them and eventually got them translated, we'd be long gone." Daniel commented absently as he continued to stare at the written words. "Let's go over them now then. Okay, first off, the title was "_One Day I Met Your Mother_." Looking up and grinning at everyone, adding a little humor to try to lift the weight they all carried, he continued, "I believe that we can all agree that unless you have the IQ of a rock, a stump, or an amoeba, the title is pretty self explanatory. After that, however, there may be some differences of opinion on how to interpret some of the lines and words, so I'm going to tell you what I think and then ask for your ideas, and we'll go from there."

Pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose for the thousandth plus time, Daniel began, "I believe we can all agree that in the first verse the word chamber is referring to her stasis container. Unfortunately, it doesn't describe it, so all we know is that she's in something. The other thing it tells us is that it is out where anyone that looks can see it. That, at least, is helpful in that we know it's not in a closet, chest, trunk, or anyplace else that could be considered "_hidden_". Does everyone agree with that, or does anyone have any other ideas, maybe something to add?"

"I think it means that the chamber isn't large. He used the word nestled. That word makes me think of being curled up in a small cozy place. Not cramped but not a lot of space either," Stephara suggested.

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "You're probably right. I doubt if Ra would have put her in something large."

"I would suspect something neither large nor small, Daniel," Malek added his thoughts. "Ra would not have wanted to seem to honor her in any way, but neither would he have wanted her in something so inconspicuous as to be overlooked. Her capture and imprisonment was an accomplishment of which he was proud. Keeping that in mind, the description of nestled that Stephara gave is probably accurate."

"Okay, so from the first verse we know that she is in a stasis chamber that is medium in size and that is in plain view. Correct?" Daniel asked, though he didn't expect any opposing answers.

"So, using the same type of reasoning, then the second verse tells us that there should be a large tapestry near her. Perhaps depicting a new mother and her child? Or someone sleeping? A funeral procession?" Lantash asked, thinking of all the things that the verse could indicate would be in the tapestry.

"I don't think so, Lantash. I think all it is telling us is that there is a large tapestry near the stasis chamber she is sleeping in and that although she's been gone from sight for a while, Ra has not forgotten about her, nor have the other System Lords forgotten her." Kathryn looked at the Tok'Ra before adding, "I also think he is reminding you that she needs to be able to breed new children to carry on the fight. It could even mean both what you are saying, that is, the mother and child or children in the tapestry, as well as conveying the thoughts that I am suggesting. Doing double duty, so to speak."

Anise nodded in agreement, murmuring, "I believe you may be correct Kathryn. I think that the next verse is telling us more about the second verse. They may all actually be intertwined from the second verse on and we may have to look on them as a whole to see how they interact with each other."

"Okay then, verse three. So, if we go on the premise that verse three is referring to the tapestry in verse two, then the tapestry would contain a purple sky and white capped water? Perhaps some children and a house? Does this sound right?"

"It could be Daniel. I think you may be right about the purple sky and the water. I'm not so sure about the children and the house, but they could be part of it. Then again, that could just be referring again to the fact that Egeria is needed to give birth to the new generation of Tok'Ra. We won't really know until we find the tapestry in question. At any rate, I think we need to keep every idea in at least one column so we end up with all variations. We are pretty sure about the purple sky and the water and the house and children are both quite possible. So they would be listed in a category. That way we have several scenarios to choose from and we won't overlook something that we shouldn't," Sam suggested as she looked over Daniel's shoulder at his lists and notes.

"That's a good idea, Sam. If we have all of the possible combinations to choose from we can check each tapestry against them all," Kathryn agreed.

"I don't think the next verse has any special meaning. Does anyone else? Other than he was saying to come as soon as they could?" Daniel asked the group. Getting the affirmations he expected, he continued to the next and last verse.

"Does anyone have any ideas on this one?"

"I do not know. Do you think there might be a mirror on the stasis chamber? Or perhaps a mirror on the wall next to it? That does not make sense though if there is a tapestry next to her." Malek stated.

"It sounds as if it would be on the chamber itself. I'm not sure though. This may be one we will just have to wait and hope it jumps out at us. For right now though we'll go on the assumption it is on the chamber itself." Daniel answered. "Even though it doesn't sound right. I think I'll list it only as a possible along with the possibility that it could also be somewhere near it on the wall. Perhaps the tapestry is on one side and the mirror on the other or something."

"You're right, Daniel, it doesn't seem right. But, I don't know what does. Your idea of one on each side makes more sense though," Sam agreed. "It mentions her soul. Do you suppose she is in some niche somewhere in an urn or statue type thing that would be worshiped but with Ra's symbols rather than her own? She would be worshiped and yet not be?"

Malek frowned, "Possibly Samantha, but I would doubt that. The system lords go for large gaudy idols and altars at which to worship them."

She nodded her acceptance of that. "Of course, some of this may just be lines that are added in to keep the cadence right and the tone of the poem about the same in case someone did get a hold of it. We should remember that, too."

"You are correct, Samantha, and we should keep that in mind. Furthermore, I think we have done as much as we can for tonight on this part of the search. We all need to go over our own rooms and then spread out and search the rest of this corridor. Keep in mind what we just talked about as you search. Daniel will get the information to you as soon as he can get it organized, so that you can memorize it and know the signals that will alert you to look more closely at the item that triggered the alert. Be careful and do not get caught," Selmak instructed them quietly.

Anise nodded her agreement with Selmak but continued on to another thought, "Even though the message they received told them that Teal'c would be here in seven days that does not mean he will not turn up early. I expect him to be here before the seven days are up, which makes it imperative that we accomplish as much as possible as quickly as possible and yet do a complete and thorough search. It is possible we may want to put in a system of checks on ourselves. Perhaps a second screening of a room by a different person, at least on the rooms that we feel are most likely to have her in them."

"That is an excellent idea, Anise. I will give it some thought and discuss it with all of you tomorrow morning. As for the other, I, too, believe they will arrive earlier than expected," Selmak agreed. "I am also hoping that the servants do not become suspicious of us because we are looking so closely at the artwork and urns."

"I believe that I may be of assistance in this matter, Selmak. I will go find Peris before going to bed. I believe that a few well chosen words will warn him not to interfere with My Lord Apophis's guests. I will leave the impression that you are collectors of fine art and it would be unwise for them to interrupt you when you are studying the many paintings and sculptures that seem to abound here."

"That is a good idea, Teal'c. Most servants tend to want to stay out of a System Lord's way anyway, so with your added caution, we should not be disturbed during our hunt." Selmak stood as he finished his remark. "Since we all need to get an early start tomorrow, we should get our first search finished and then retire for the night."

"We'll clean up these things first while you all start searching. What do we do with them after we gather them, Teal'c?"

"Normally you would return them to the kitchen area, Samantha, but since you do not yet know your way around, I will have Peris send someone to retrieve them. Leave them outside in the hall."

"Thanks, Teal'c. We'll start learning where things are tomorrow." Sam turned back to Kathryn and Daniel, "I suppose we should check the unused rooms up here as well."

Daniel nodded, "Once the servants here come and get this stuff they probably won't bother us again tonight. It should be perfectly safe to have a look around then. And it's not really very late here even though it is dark. We have a couple of hours before it starts getting late."

"I will go in search of Peris now, so that they will remove the remains of our meal right away and leave us for the rest of the night. If you will excuse me, My Lord." Teal'c bowed towards Selmak, keeping up the charade. As he left the room his lips curved up in a smile. He would be sure that they stayed away from the System Lord he was accompanying. It had been a long time since he had acted the part of a First Prime, but he could certainly do it with little trouble. He would put the fear of their new God and his guests in the servants, and then the team could get on with their search.

"We may as well get started on our rooms, and as Daniel said, after the servants have left this wing for the night, we can extend the search outward to include the unoccupied rooms. When we finish, we should probably attempt to sleep some even though it may be difficult this first night."

"I agree, Lantash." Selmak watched as the lo'tars returned from removing the dishes. "Let us get started group. We have a lot of territory to cover and very little time."

The group dispersed to their respective rooms to begin their search. The sands of the hour glass were running and they all felt the need to move quickly. Lantash and Martouf knew that they must succeed in this quest. They had been given a second chance at both their lives with Samantha, and this mission; there would be no more chances at either. They had to find their Queen. They would find her. Failure was not an option.

TBC


	11. Searching for the Proverbial Needle 11 W

___**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise _

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works.My web address is in my bio.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

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_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter 11**_

_**Searching for the Proverbial Needle**_

* * *

Teal'c had been as good as his word. As they prowled through the Palace rooms, _inspecting_ the art and artifacts, none of the servants bothered them. In fact, they appeared to avoid the areas of the Palace that the team members were in, except when they stumbled on them by accident. When they did happen upon them, they made as hasty a retreat as possible, which was working out well. Martouf snorted in Lantash's head. _"What did you expect them to do, after the show you put on for them the other day? We are lucky Samantha is still speaking to us."_

Lantash chuckled in response. _"I am aware, Martouf, but she agreed that it was an excellent ploy, and, as you know, we were not the only ones to use it. It was pure chance that the servant entered the room just as Samantha leaned over the back of the divan and it looked as if we were mounting her from behind. I do not think that I have ever seen her cheeks so bright a pink." _He sent a wicked image to Martouf. _"It is too bad that we do not have time for dalliance; there are many places here that are perfect for such interludes."_

_"Very true, Lantash, but we do not as we are all aware. And, as for the incident, I believe that it helped to keep the staff even further away from us than before, as we go about our search. The young man held his composure well, but then, I am quite sure that he saw much worse during his time with Ra. In fact, I believe he backed out so quickly because you stared at him as if you were interested in him, Lantash. He was probably afraid that he would be pulled into sexual service for you when you were done with your lo'tar."_

Lantash laughed again, neither admitting nor denying Martouf's accusation, and still remembering the appalled look on Samantha's face as she realized what the young man assumed they were doing. Of course, Lantash's own actions had helped to convince the young man that he was correct in his suppositions. There was no doubt that he had no inclination to be used as Ra had used him.

_"I have wondered, since then, if it was the same servant that caught Malek and Kathryn in what appeared to be, but in reality was not, a compromising situation. Yesterday, while you were sleeping, I heard Kathryn talking to Samantha about it. She, too, tried to rectify the image that they were projecting when they were disturbed, and Malek had to restrain her and force her to remain in place as he talked to whichever servant it was. She was – unhappy – about the incident, but understood after Malek explained his reasoning. I believe he had to promise a few things before she forgave him, though; concessions much as those Samantha gained from us. Tau'ri women, I am told and now have proof of, know how to "lead a horse to water and make him drink". I think that is what Jacob told me after a few beers one night."_

Lantash smiled at him. _"You are only now finding this out, Martouf? As far as the servants go, from what I can tell, they have begun to avoid us even more, as you have said, which is exactly what we want."_

Suddenly, Lantash sighed as his thoughts went back to the project at hand. Two days. They had been searching for two days, taking only what time they absolutely had to for eating, and sleep was barely more than glorified naps. Lantash sighed and rubbed his face. He was tired. They were all tired.

_"We will find her, Lantash. Hopefully, we will have two more days. We can only hope that this Teal'c does not come early."_

_"I know, Martouf, and I am not giving up hope. She is here somewhere. She must be,"_ he said briskly. _"Becoming discouraged will get us nowhere and accomplish nothing. I believe that we are ready to start in the rooms on the other side of the Palace, are we not?"_

_"Yes. Samantha, Anise, and Jorlin are already there. Some are finishing up on the rooms at the end of this hall. Malek, Kathryn, and several of the Tau'ri are finishing up the rooms on the second level."_

Lantash conveyed his understanding to Martouf. _"I think that we should catch up with Samantha, then. Several of the rooms that Ra used as ante-chambers for those who wished to speak to him are on that side of the Palace, and we have finished with the ante-chambers on this side. I am glad the third floor was nothing but servants' quarters. I suppose that as a last resort we could look through them, but we all feel fairly confident that he would not have put her there."_

_"I agree with all of your observations, and I believe that we have looked this room over as thoroughly as we have the others."_ Martouf now was the one to sigh. "_We should go join the others. There is nothing here."_

_"I agree, Martouf. Let us go."_

* * *

Selmak and Teal'c finished another section of the former System Lord's private suite. It contained several rooms, all large, all gaudily decorated and full of works of art as well as furniture. It had been decided that the two of them would search those rooms during the hours in which Teal'c stayed near the System Lord as he used the sarcophagus. The oddity had been accepted as simply another idiosyncrasy of the Lord in question. 

"So, what do you think, Teal'c? We have gone over these rooms in minute detail. We only have two more of his personal chambers to check. I hope that he did not put her in a wall, a statue, or the floor. If so, there may be no way to find her. Although we have been checking for hollow-sounding places as we go, there are still areas that we cannot reach without difficulty. For all we know, there could be compartments even in the ceiling. If she is in stasis as we believe, then her energy signal will be faint at best and non-existent at worst." Selmak spoke softly, so as not to be overheard.

"I do not believe that would be the case, My Lord, but you need have no fear, for as always, I will see to it that no one enters the rooms while you are in the sarcophagus." Teal'c responded loudly as if answering an inquiry of the Lord that he was guarding. In a quieter tone he continued, "I do not believe she would be in places such as those. The poem definitely states that she is in clear sight. We have either missed her, which I doubt, or she is still in one of the rooms that we have not yet searched. Our system of a primary and detailed sweep of the rooms, followed by another person rechecking them, increases the chance that we will not overlook her. Captain Adams is being as thorough as we as she follows us through the rooms. Between the three of us, I do not think that we would have missed her. And with so many people looking using this method, I believe that the chance of us not finding her would be quite small. If she is here, we will find her, Selmak."

Selmak nodded and sighed. "Stephara is doing a very thorough second search, and I agree that there is very little chance we have missed her. She is not in the rooms that we have checked."

"Discouragement is setting in, though, and I can not blame them. We have found nothing that would match the clues that we think were in the poem." He shook his head before going on to say, "I think we will have one day more, at best. I expect this reality's Teal'c to show up soon. I do not believe, any more than the rest of you, that he will take the full seven days before he arrives, if for no other reason than to catch them off guard. Four days of the seven are almost gone. It would not surprise me if he came as early as tomorrow."

Teal'c nodded his agreement, but added, "I agree, but we will hope that he does not. It would be quite…inconvenient."

Selmak snorted, shook his head at Teal'c's understatement, and turned back to the wall.

After several minutes of silent searching, he sent a look at Teal'c. "Teal'c, have you had any side affects in this universe yet? We have been in this reality for four days, and Sam said with the other incident that it took only forty-eight hours."

"No, I have not. I am beginning to believe Major Carter's theory that the closer we are to one another, the faster it will occur. Until Teal'c arrives here, I should not have a great deal of trouble, unless we are here for many more days."

Selmak looked at him closely and nodded. He did not think Teal'c was lying to him. "Simply be sure that you let us know if you begin to feel anything at all different. We can whisk you to the gate and out of this reality in very little time."

"I will do so, Selmak, I assure you. I will not jeopardize this mission by keeping anything about my health from you."

Selmak nodded his acceptance of his statements and they quietly carried on in their search. They really could not take a chance that he would be overheard when he was supposedly in the sarcophagus.

Selmak found his mind wandering as he methodically combed the room looking for Egeria. As they had all too often in the last few days, they wandered to his '_lo'tar_'. Because Captain Adams would be following them and double checking their search of the rooms, it had been decided to pass her off as Selmak's concubine. To that end, it had been necessary that at least one of the house servants see him being intimate with her. They had carefully staged the scene that the servant had walked in on. Selmak was still shocked by his – and Jacob's – reactions.

While Selmak had known that she was an attractive woman, he had not expected his and Jacob's reaction to be so instant and powerful. He had finished the scene feeling as if he had been broadsided. Since then, they had started to know one another on a more intimate level. Jacob was bemoaning the fact that she was quickly becoming more important to them. Although he had known they were attracted to her, they never expected these kinds of feelings to develop.

They were much stronger than they should be and were definitely more intense than any that they had felt for any of their Tok'Ra partners. Luckily, these types of liaisons were mutual relationships that were not emotional but were simply for physical release. Their present lover would not be offended or hurt by them if they began another relationship, and it certainly looked like they might be getting into one. Selmak smirked at Jacob after reading some of his thoughts. _"She is a very nice armful, Jacob, but she is also an interesting person. It is her other attributes as much as her body that affects us. I am glad we are both attracted to her. We will simply wait to see where it leads."_

_"I know, Sel. It just happened so fast. I didn't expect it."_ He grinned at Selmak, _"but I think I'm glad that it did."_

Selmak smiled back. _"So am I, Jacob."_

Teal'c checked to be sure that there was still no one about. After his warning to the servants of the house he felt sure that none would tarry long in this area of the Palace, but he preferred to be sure. He walked back to Selmak and lowered his voice to little above a whisper.

"Selmak, I believe that if there are escape tunnels here, then one of the access points should be in these chambers. I believe that I should begin our search for them as you finish searching the remainder of these rooms for Egeria. If we do not find her in one of the Palace rooms, the only place left to look will be in the tunnels. We should know where they are at any rate, for we may be able to search them after we supposedly _leave _here. Some of us could go to the Tel'tak and take it to the gate, while the rest of us started to search from this end. I feel confident that once I find the access points on this end, it will take very little effort to find the exit on the other end."

Selmak frowned for a moment as he gave Teal'c's proposition consideration. He had a valid point and if they were surprised by this reality's Teal'c, then it might be possible for them to use it to escape if they had to. He nodded to the other man. "I think that is definitely something we should look into. Do you want anyone else to help in the search?"

"I do not believe that will be necessary, Selmak. I have seen Palaces of Ra's from our reality and I believe that I will know what I am seeing once I begin to search for it. Had I been thinking as I should have been, I would have been searching for the access points as well as for her. Since I did not, I must now retrace my steps."

"Well, the other two rooms are not all that large, Teal'c. I think that I can handle them. We will go back over them again later this evening or tomorrow, for the second sweep, if we have to."

"If you feel that is best, then I will begin now. I will probably be late for our evening meal, but hopefully, I will have some information when I do arrive," Teal'c inclined his head slightly toward Selmak and quietly left the room.

Sighing, Selmak and Jacob returned to studying the room in minute detail.

* * *

Malek sighed as he and Kathryn finished another room. There were still several more to go through. They had to find their queen soon, or the opportunity could be lost forever. He felt Kathryn's small warm hand rub his back as he stood thinking. 

"We will find her, Malek. We will find her even if we have to kill everyone here, including the other Teal'c and his group when they arrive, so that we can continue searching. Don't get discouraged, love. Please."

Malek smiled and patted her hand when it finally stopped stroking him and came to rest on his arm. "You are correct. We will find her. We cannot let this chance pass us by, and we will not." Leaning over, he kissed her softly. "Shall we head to the next room in our search area?"

"Yes, I think we should," she agreed. "We really have no idea how long we have left to search. Knowing that the other Teal'c is due to arrive at any time, it means we must continue with as much speed as we can to check each room. It's taking a long time, but at least we can be fairly sure we haven't missed something."

"I agree. I know we will find her, it is simply so frustrating." Malek stopped talking and looked closely at Kathryn's face. "You are not sleeping well. Am I not giving you enough to relax you before you take your brief sleep?"

Kathryn blushed his favorite color of pink as she looked at the floor. It only took her a few moments to collect herself and answer him. "I guess you'll just have to try harder," she replied, as she sent him a challenging look. "Or maybe you just don't have what it takes," she continued sadly, shaking her head mournfully.

"If you are not careful, my mate, I will turn you over my knee, paddle you until you beg for mercy, and then make love to you until you cannot remain awake another moment. Or, if you continue to taunt me, perhaps I will have you give me pleasure here where we might be walked in upon as we were the other day, only this time it would be for real. Is that what you wish, my love?"

Kathryn gasped, and then turned a darker shade of rose. She was well aware that he would do neither of those things if she protested, but just the thought brought the color rushing to her cheeks. "No. No, I do not want that to happen again." She looked up at him as the incident he spoke of passed through her mind. She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. "Once was quite enough, Malek, I assure you."

"Oh, I believe you, Kathryn, but as a threat it comes in handy." He grinned down into her face as it flamed with still more color. "You are my lo'tar and must do as you are told, you know." He was laughing at her, she knew, in response to her attitude, but if that was what it took to chase away the shadows in his eyes, the depression of the last two days, and make him feel less bleak about their chances for success, then it was worth every bit of color in her cheeks. It was a small price to pay to help him relax for a few minutes.

"Of course, Oh, Great One. I am yours to do with as pleases you. But I think, my 'Lord and Master', that we should be moving on to the next room. Unfortunately, I don't think that it will be very much longer before the other Teal'c arrives, and we have to find Egeria before that happens."

Malek sighed. "Yes, we do. We cannot give in to growing despair. Come, we will go into the next room and see if it will be the final room in our search."

Kathryn nodded and linking her arm in his, she walked with him out the door. They would find her. There was no other option.

* * *

Sam walked around the room that had been used as a reception area. There were several of them, and they were very large with a great deal of area to cover. There were nooks and crannies, sculptures and paintings, gilding, and velvets, opulence in abundance. But no tapestries with purple skies and white capped water. No mothers and children. No Egeria, at least, not that they could find. Jorlin and Anise were following her, each of them looking over the area she had already searched to be sure that nothing was overlooked. Lantash and Martouf would also add their abilities to the search on this side of the palace. She was ready to move on to the next room. There was one more room after it that was immense. The largest one was nearest the grand entrance hall. It was the largest of the ante-chambers, so she decided to wait until tomorrow to start on the two of them. It would take quite some time to search them both. 

They needed to stop for a meal, compare notes, and try to get some sleep, at least for a few hours. While they could not afford to become exhausted and miss anything, neither could they waste too much time sleeping. They would not overlook her. That would not happen. This was too important to all of them. They might have two days left. Most of them doubted it. Every day they lingered brought the arrival of this reality's Teal'c closer, and the possibility of their own Teal'c's temporal distortion became more likely.

Shaking her head, she checked the time and sighed. It really was late, later than usual, actually, and they needed to get the evening meal prepared. She turned away from the door to the next room without really getting started on it, and went to look for Anise and Jorlin.

"Anise, I'm going to go and start the evening meal. It's later than usual, so I don't want to start the next room and not be able to finish it in one go. I think that I'll go find Kathryn and Daniel, and get started. By the time that you two finish in here, it should be time to stop for the night, or at least for a few hours."

Anise nodded her understanding. "That is acceptable and sensible, Samantha. We will simply finish this room and then find Lantash to let him know where we stopped. We will join you later. Thank you."

"See you later, then." Sam turned and headed toward the area of the Palace that she knew Malek and Kathryn were working in. Before long, they would have searched the entire building, if their luck held and the other Teal'c didn't put in an untimely appearance.

Sam reached behind her and rubbed the back of her neck. She was tired, but no matter how tired any of them got, they didn't seem to be able to sleep. At least not long or well. What sleep they got was disturbed and light. They were all waking early in the mornings and often during the nights. Distressing dreams were not unusual, either.

Entering the room where she thought that she heard the murmur of voices, she saw both Kathryn and Malek slowly and minutely examining the room and everything in it. Each and every piece of sculpture, painting, piece of furniture, wall, mantel, and floor, in fact, everything in the room was being completely examined. Both of them were lost in what they were doing, so she knocked lightly on the doorframe, hoping not to startle them and to let Kathryn and Malek know that there was a house servant near.

Kathryn jumped slightly, but realizing that it was Sam, she smiled slightly and asked, very softly, "Is it time to fix the evening meal? I believe that My Lord is about through with the artifacts in this room, but he is not completely finished yet."

She turned and walked to Malek. Crossing her arms in front of her and bowing her head, she knelt and addressed him. "If it pleases you, my Lord, I will depart to prepare your evening repast." She remained, not moving, until the System Lord in front of her finished his perusal of the painting that he had been studying.

Finally finishing, he frowned down at her and clicked his fingers. "Go. Hopefully you will prepare this night's repast with more care. I would hate to have to discipline you again this night." As the words left his mouth, he turned from her as if she was of no consequence.

Sam had stepped back into the hall and moved out of his sight, as if she did not wish to come to his attention. Kathryn joined her and they walked swiftly down the hall in the wake of the house servant who had realized that he had stumbled onto one of the lords and did not wish to come to his attention.

The two women veered off to go to their own apartments as he hurried on towards the house servants' part of the Palace. Sam and Kathryn choked back their laughs until they were in their room. He had looked appalled when he realized he had almost entered a room and come face to face with one of the visiting Lords. They were really trying to stay away from them. Teal'c had very strongly impressed them with the need to leave them alone as much as possible, and there was no doubt that the poor man could not get away fast enough.

* * *

The group gathered and compared notes over the evening meal. Teal'c hadn't returned by the time they finished, so the remainder of the meal was put in a warming tray to be kept hot for him. 

The general report was more of the same. No hint of Egeria had been found. The hints enclosed in the messages had not been found.

"I am beginning to wonder if we made a mistake about the messages being a code to tell us where she is. I hope that we are not looking for the wrong things." Lantash looked deeply troubled as he gazed into the fire in the fireplace.

Daniel and several others shook their heads in immediate denial and Daniel spoke up, saying, "No, we aren't on the wrong track, Lantash, we just haven't found what we are looking for. The messages make no sense, unless they were trying to tell us something. That's all that they can be. What we came up with at least makes sense, and you said that he has used that method to send hints and locations to you before. He would have known that if he wasn't here to tell us where she was, we would be looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack without some guidance. No. No, I really think we're interpreting the messages correctly."

"I think so, too, Lantash. That is the only reason I can see for sending such messages. We must continue our search in the morning. We have almost finished the Palace. There are only a few rooms left. We will find her tomorrow. If we do not, then we will think about the possibility that we are wrong in our interpretation. Not before." Malek's voice was firm in his belief. "We shouldn't discard this theory until we have finished it."

"I agree with Malek, Lantash. We have to use the same method on all the rooms before we start again. We will find her. It is simply taking a little longer than we had hoped it would, that is all," Selmak assured him.

"I am sure you are all correct. I should not let myself become despairing. After everything that has happened I should be quite optimistic. After all, the circumstances so far have been beyond the scope of probabilities, so I must believe that we are meant to rescue her."

"I think that you're right, Lantash. As I've commented before, the odds of you falling through the mirror at all, into a reality that was non-hostile, and to be found by your own people, in and of itself, was astronomical. I think we can figure that the odds of us succeeding are pretty slim. Which is why we will succeed. Our odds of succeeding at this have got to be better than your odds of surviving and being found were. We'll find her." Sam grinned at him. "After all, you've had rotten odds all along and look where it's gotten you. You're bound to succeed at these lousy odds!"

Lantash laughed as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her lightly. "You are, as usual, correct, my Samantha. I must believe that we will find her. Tomorrow."

"We should be able to finish the house tomorrow, shouldn't we?" Kathryn asked as she began to clear away the remains of the meal. Taking their cue from her, everyone began to gather and put things away so that they could finish the chore, and make plans for the next day.

"I believe so. I am hoping that Teal'c will have something for us. If he finds Ra's escape routes, then we will be able to search them, if we do not find her in the Palace. It will also be a way for us to get out if this reality's Teal'c shows up before we find her and take our leave." As Selmak finished his statement, he turned toward the slight sound in the doorway.

"Your hope has been fulfilled, My Lord. I believe that I have found five access points as well as the exits. There are two of them, both near the Chaappa'ai." Teal'c excused himself to clean up before eating, but returned quickly, just as they were putting his meal on the table.

Sitting down, he began to eat and give his information. "Do you have the map we have drawn of the Palace, DanielJackson? If so, I will place the access points on the map. I believe that all of us should memorize where they are. Should this reality's Teal'c show up, we may need to escape quickly and we will need to know the closest access point to us at any given moment."

"I agree, Teal'c. I'll go get the map. Be right back."

"I would also suggest that we put most of our belongings into the tunnels in the main chamber before we retire tonight, including anything that is on the Tel'tak. Should we have to leave suddenly, we will not have time to return to our rooms or the ship. If our things are already in the tunnels, we will not have to worry about it. I believe that you should also ring down the chests that you have, Lantash, just in case you can not return to the Tel'tak."

Lantash nodded. "I believe you are correct. I only hope that we do not get trapped in the escape tunnel. If they know that we have gone that way, they could very well take their ship or our Tel'tak and reach the Chaappa'ai before we can reach it through the tunnels."

Teal'c nodded. "I have, as O'Neill would say, thought of a Plan B in the event we become trapped in the tunnels. There are rings in the main chamber, which isnot tofar away from the Palace. It is farther than our Tel'tak now sits. I believe that if you move the Tel'tak over them and then cloak it, we might also escape that way if we are trapped in the tunnels."

"That's a good sound idea, Teal'c. Lantash, can you manage to slip out, move the Tel'tak, cloak it, and then hope that no one sees you leave it and re-enter the Palace? If they see you leave, but not return, they may think you left during the night." Selmak stated, after thinking the plans over.

"I will do it later tonight, well after everyone is asleep. As far as I have been able to ascertain, there are very few servants awake here at night. There seem to be no guards outside at all. I will transport the belongings that we left on the ship using the rings, and then I will re-enter the palace by the egress point nearest our suite of rooms. I see no difficulty with this endeavor."

Teal'c responded to Lantash, saying, "I have noticed the same lack of guards. There is probably little need for them. There are very few people here. From what I could find out, the nearest village is very small and the planet is so far out of the way that few stop here. There are a few armed guards inside at night, but if you happen upon one of them, you will have no trouble with them as long as you simply ignore them, and do not appear as a threat," Teal'c assured him as he finished his meal and turned to the map after his plate and utensils were removed.

Leaning over the map, Teal'c quickly drew in the access points of the escape tunnels. He drew a simple map of the tunnels and explained their layout as well as the main chamber where the rings were located. He felt they should put their possessions there, for all of the tunnels converged at that point and then split again depending on which outlet one wished to take.

When all of the members of the team had memorized the locations of the escape panels and how to access them and the ring room, the maps were once again folded and secreted away. The team members left for their respective rooms to gather their belongings. Several of them had been assigned to take everyone's belongings to the ring room in the tunnels. Once delivered, they would rejoin the team and try to rest.

Lantash placed his arm around Samantha and pulled her closer to him, his hand resting on her hip. She felt so warm, and such a miracle to them. Her living, breathing beauty took his breath as it sometimes did when he realized the wonder of the gift given to them coursed through him once again.

Tomorrow was several hours away, but they all needed to be ready and alert. Most of them felt that tomorrow could be their last day here before Teal'c arrived. Many felt he could arrive any time. They were working on borrowed time.

With the finding of the escape tunnels, the final plans were now set into place. When they arose from their sleep, no matter what hour, all trace of them would be removed from the chambers they occupied. They would have their weapons, ammunition, communications, and the clothing they stood in. Which meant the women would wear the most concealing clothing that they had…P-90's did not hide well under Jeannie clothes…but they did in the full skirted gowns and cloaks, with the built in concealment pockets, as did zats, hand guns, and extra ammunition. When they entered an access point, it would appear as if they had never been there. Hopefully, they would disappear along with Egeria, leaving behind only some very confused servants and Jaffa.

He sighed. It was late enough to complete their next assignment. He turned to Samantha as she handed him his cloak. "Yes, my mate, I promise I will be careful. No one will see me return, although they may see me leave. If questions arise as to how I came to be here, we will no doubt come up with a feasible story."

"Okay. I'll see you shortly then."

"I will not awaken you if you have fallen asleep, Samantha. You need your rest," Lantash warned her. "No. It would do no good to argue. I will not disturb your sleep when you need it so badly. Now go to sleep knowing that I will be joining you momentarily. I promise."

Sam sighed. "I know that you're right so I'll give in and go to sleep. I can barely stay awake, so I know that I'll be asleep when you get back. I'll tell you good-night now. I love you both. Now, go so you will return sooner."

"Good-night, love."

* * *

The day was already half over and Sam already felt completely worn out. She had been so tired the night before that she thought she would fall asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. She hadn't. She had lain in the bed wide awake, until she heard Lantash and Martouf enter the room. As soon as she knew that they were all right, the tension she hadn't realized was there had left her shoulders and she'd relaxed into the mattress. It was amazing. Even after such a short time of being together, she couldn't sleep without him beside her. She'd turned to him as he climbed into bed and told him what had happened. As soon as his arms went around her, she'd felt exhausted. They were content to hold each other and sleep. 

It had been a comforting night, but a short one. It seemed that everyone woke up before sunrise with a sense of urgency. It was as if everyone could feel the end drawing nearer. But now was not the time to dwell on last night, or her love for Lantash and Martouf. Now was the time to find Egeria. Time was shorter than ever.

The room before this one had been medium sized, but it had been full of mirrors, paintings, urns, tapestries, statues, and nooks and crannies. It had taken her several hours just to check everything over carefully. Now, here she was, at eleven in the morning, and just starting on this immense ante-chamber. The door on the other side led directly to the grand entrance hall. It was partially open, so she walked over to it and pulled it almost all the way closed. She didn't want the house servants wandering in while she was in here examining everything.

She hoped that Lantash returned soon to help with the first sweep of the room. Teal'c had called him to check out what he thought might be another access door to the tunnels. It was similar to the others but something seemed different about it and he was getting both his and Selmak's opinion before he tried to gain access to it. It was the only one he had found on this side of the Palace near the front rooms and would be a much-needed find, if that was what it was.

As things stood now, if the other Teal'c arrived, anyone on this side of the Palace on the ground floor near the front, which would be Jorlin, Anise, Daniel, and herself, would be trapped here. Without access to the tunnel network, they would have to try to work their way through numerous rooms to the back of the Palace and hope that they could keep from being seen. If this was an access door, it would be a much closer point of entry, being only five rooms away. The only problem with it was that they would have to traverse a semi-open hallway for quite some distance before entering another solid room.

Sam shook her head. She needed to concentrate on the job at hand, which was finding Egeria. Taking a deep breath, she turned from the door that gave entrance to the hall and began scanning the room. She groaned. There were several mirrors, at least three tapestries, a half dozen urns, statues, a waterfall, paintings, and sculptures of varying shapes, sizes, and, ah, subject matter. What the subject matter was in some cases was anybody's guess.

Starting with the wall nearest the door, she arched and stretched her back before she looked at the tapestry that hung on the wall. There was no mirror near it. In the tapestry itself, there was a house, some people, and children, but no water, and the sky was blue. There was no urn anywhere around it. Although they had all agreed that Egeria would be in plain sight, they also agreed that Ra might have concealed her if he feared he would lose to Apophis. Therefore, Sam began the tedious work of checking the panels for any sign of empty spaces behind them or anything about the wall that did not look right. She found nothing, so moved on to the next wall.

From the corner, she came first to a large hand painted quarter-fold screen. It was a beautiful, gilded accessory for the room, and it stood, from bottom to top, over seven feet in height, and when opened, eight feet in length. For all that it looked delicate, it was very sturdily made and it could not be seen through. It was perfect for its purpose, and one could bathe or change in perfect privacy. Sam caressed it as she walked by it, admiring it for the lovely piece that it was.

Next she came to a painting. Nothing remotely matching their clues were to be found in the creatures cavorting on the canvass. Painstakingly checking the wall panels above, to the left, below, and to the right of the painting, Sam found nothing. She stood after checking the baseboard area, stretched, and took several steps toward a fireplace before looking up and staring into a large mirror that hung above the fireplace. The fireplace had a large, wide mantel, upon which stood matching, medium sized urns on either end.

But that wasn't what captured Sam's attention and kept her gaze enthralled. Her entrancement was because of what was in the mirror. Reflected in the mirror was a tapestry. And the scene in the tapestry was of a mother and her children playing near a fish pond, in front of a house. In the far distance, you could see the sea and the white-capped waves. And above the tapestry, the ceiling of the room was reflected. It was purple. The urn was decorated with eyes, and a plaque on the base said "_Egeria"_. It was just as Malek and Lantash had feared. If they had not come for her, Apophis would have implanted her and tortured her forever. Thank the Goddess that they had found her before Apophis did.

She didn't hear Lantash enter the room, nor did she hear the argument in the grand entrance hall as Teal'c attempted to gain entrance to his Lord's pleasure Palace. When Lantash touched her shoulder, she jumped.

Lantash's whisper was low, but urgent, "Samantha, we must go. Did you not hear us trying to contact you? The others are on their way to the tunnels. Teal'c and his people have arrived. We must leave at once."

"No, we can't yet, Lantash, not until we get Egeria."

"We have no more time, Samantha. We have failed. We must go now." Lantash put his arm around her to push her in front of him, but Sam pulled away from him.

She shook her head, grabbed his arm, and using a whisper as urgent and insistent as his had been told him, "No, you don't understand, Lantash. I mean, I've found Egeria, and we need to take her with us now. Right now."

Lantash looked at her blankly for a moment. "Samantha. Are you saying that you know where Egeria is? Where, Samantha? Where is she?"

"Sh-sh-sh. Keep it down. Stick with the whispering. She's in the urn on the mantel. The one with her name on it, as far as I know. He wouldn't have put her somewhere else, would he? He wouldn't have put her name on the urn, then put her someplace else? I don't know what the other one says."

"All we can do is hope that he did not do something as perverse as putting her name on an urn and then putting her somewhere else. I would see no purpose in doing so. Come, I will get the urn. I assume it is a stasis chamber of some type." Quickly processing the mantel and the scene upon it, he asked, "Can you make out what the other urn says?"

Nodding, Sam went over to it quickly and said, "It has what appears to be a name, too. I think that it says Astaria. Does the name mean anything to you?"

"Yes, she was a great friend of Egeria's. I am not sure what happened to her in our reality, but Selmak may know. We should take her, too. We will assume that she is dead in our reality. If she is not, we will have to bring her back to this one and send her to Kheb."

Sam nodded, and then asked, "Can you get the urn? Is it fastened down or something?"

"There. I got it. It was hooked down on the bottom with a – damn it. We may still have failed, Samantha, and it is my fault. I should have thought of this."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"The urn was set to break the seal if it was taken down. A precaution against it being stolen. The seal on the stasis chamber is broken, and if we cannot get her to Anise or Jorlin fairly quickly, so that she can take one of their hosts, she will die."

"Then you can't get the other urn either?"

"I can, if I am more careful, now that I know what not to do."

"Okay, you take care of that and I'll head for the escape tunnels. It sounds as if the arguing out there is over. They're probably on their way to our rooms. They'll probably search that floor first."

Lantash nodded and headed for the other urn. "Now, while they are occupied, would be a good time to go. With their Teal'c looking for the intruders upstairs, and the servants sure that we are there also, they will take a little while. I will radio Selmak that you are on your way with Egeria and that I will bring Astaria. I think everyone is waiting for us just inside the tunnels, or very near to an access point. You must leave at once if Egeria is to survive, Samantha. I will be right behind you, I assure you."

Receiving no answer to his comments, Lantash turned around. The open urn was on its side facing Samantha, and she was lying with her forehead touching its rim. Both of them were on the floor. Neither of them was moving.

_TBC _


	12. Leap of Faith 12 WDL

___**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise _

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works.My web address is in my bio.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

**

* * *

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_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter 12**_

_**Leap of Faith**_

* * *

Lantash's breath caught in his throat as he stared at Samantha, lying pale and still on the floor, next to the obviously empty urn. He strode swiftly across the floor, setting the urn, which he still held, down as he knelt beside her. 

_"Lantash, Samantha has taken Egeria as her symbiote. As healthy as she is, she should not have become unconscious. Something is wrong."_ Martouf spoke quietly, and it was obvious that he was holding himself in very tight control.

_"I am aware. I do not know what has occur-"_ Lantash broke off as Sam's eyes glowed brightly when she opened them and looked intently at them.

She smiled for a brief moment. Her voice a barely heard whisper, she said, "You are our mates." Then she shook her head. "Forgive me. That is a discussion for later. Samantha took a great leap of faith by joining with me, and she wishes me to assure you that she has given me complete and willing access to her memories and information. As for our apparently unconscious state, we were blending and linking our minds, transferring information as quickly as possible. As you know, it is accomplished more smoothly, and with less stress, when the symbiote and host truly desire to immerse themselves within one another. She has answered my questions as well as she can for the moment."

"It is a shock to me that so much time has passed and that so much has happened, however, we both realize that while relevant to our present situation, it is not necessary that I know every detail of the present, or the past two thousand years, at this time. Samantha will continue to feed me as much information as she can as we go along to fill in anything important that I may have missed. We will be switching back and forth between us, depending on which of us will be best suited to handle each situation as it arises. I understand that we are about to be discovered and that it is imperative that we retreat at once."

"Yes that is correct, my Queen. We must leave here right away, for our presence has been discovered. The remainder of our team members are waiting within the escape tunnels."

"I understand that we are in what once was one of Ra's Pleasure Palaces, which now belongs to Apophis. Bah! What a preening peacock he has always been. While I, myself, would have chosen to align myself with Apophis to defeat Ra, he should never have fallen to Apophis alone, and furthermore, had Ra kept himself out of every pretty boy that passed, he would not have been so distracted that he allowed that primping, prancing, pathetic excuse of a…never mind. As you say, we must go." Egeria stood as she finished speaking, her disgust of both Apophis and Ra evident in both her face and her words.

As Lantash turned to pick up the urn that held Astaria, the door to the room opened, and he swung toward it, bringing his zat up and aiming it at the person who entered. They stared at one another for a moment before both relaxed. The young woman swiftly completed entering the room, pulling the door shut behind her, and smiling in welcome when she saw the man who was in the room.

"Lantash! You survived! I am so very glad. Even though Teal'c assured me that he believed you died in the explosion, I always felt that he was unsure of your fate, and that something had occurred to make him wonder." Keeping her voice low, Ria'ta moved quickly toward the couple standing near the fireplace. Her smile faded as she reached out and gently touched the side of his face. "But, Lantash, Martouf, you must leave at once, before Teal'c and the other Jaffa return. They are searching for some intruders that I can only assume are you and your friends," she continued, still speaking softly. "I will help you as much as I can, but you must be aware that you are in grave danger here." She paused for only a moment before saying, "I am so very glad that you survived. Selmak and Malek? Did they?…"

Lantash grasped her hands and shook his head sadly. "No. No, Ria'ta, they did not survive, and yet, they will appear to be here with me. It is difficult to explain all that has happened to me, and I do not have time to tell it all. Although it will be hard to believe or understand, please trust me when I tell you that I no longer dwell within your world, your - your plane of existence, your reality. I am sorry, but when we leave this time, we, Martouf and I, will not be returning. I wish with all my being that it could be otherwise, that there was something, anything, that we could do, but there is not; there is nothing that we can do to help you."

Lantash shook his head and smiled wryly at her, saying, "Ironically, the result of our failed mission in this reality will probably enable the Tok'Ra to survive, defeat the Goa'uld, and free the worlds and Jaffa in the reality we now belong in. Because we have a chance to succeed there, we must not again fail in our mission. Indeed, we are already more successful this time than we were before in our attempt to complete the mission." He looked at Sam, his emotions obvious to Ria'ta, before he continued, saying, "Now, we simply need to return with the object that we came to retrieve. It is in our hands, and we are ready to depart. Leaving the Palace is probably the only thing standing between us and success."

Ria'ta nodded. "Though I do not understand the particulars, I trust your word, and I do believe you. It was not meant to be. You have done so much for me, already. In fact, for many in our universe. Many worlds and their peoples are knowledgeable about what the Goa'uld are and no longer worship them blindly, even though they may have no choice but to do so publicly."

"My own people, my own family, all of them, are free to follow their own beliefs. Those who choose to be are safe, thanks to the Tok'Ra, and for those things alone, I will give my life for you. I will do everything I can to see to it that you finish your mission here successfully and return to wherever you must go, Lantash. I promise you."

Ria'ta's eyes were drawn to Sam, and she glanced curiously at her as she finished speaking, but she asked no questions. Lantash's body language communicated the information that whoever this woman was, she was the reason for this mission. She, or some knowledge she held, was what they had come to retrieve. He would defend her at all costs, and, though his love for her was obvious, it was apparent there was a deeper reason for his protection of her. She was someone of importance to the Tok'Ra. Her eyes widened, but still she said nothing.

"Thank you, Ria'ta. It would be much appreciated, as it was the last time you helped us, but please do not involve yourself. There is an escape tunnel on this side of the Palace, and while your people are searching for us elsewhere, we will attempt to make our way to it and hope we can arrive there before they return. You should not put yourself into danger for us, however."

Ria'ta reached out to pull him close in a brief embrace, knowing that they would never meet again, but also knowing that she would not leave them without helping them to escape, or dying in the attempt. The debt that her family owed them was deep, for they were some of the lucky ones and lived on a world shunned by the Goa'uld. Several of her siblings and cousins were actively in contact with the Goa'uld, but their interaction was voluntary. All were in resistance groups. All were willing to die for their beliefs. All had been saved from slavery; many had been freed from Goa'uld symbiotes by the Tok'Ra. In turn, all had mourned the loss as the Tok'Ra had been hunted to extinction. Her death would be a small price to pay for what they owed them.

She smiled at him again as she shook her head, saying, "I will remain behind you and try to detour anyone coming upon you from behind. If nothing else, you will hear me talking to them and know they are behind you."

"We thank you once again." Smiling at her, Lantash bent, picked up the urn, and turned to walk across the room. He motioned toward the other door, saying softly, "The tunnel is this way," before turning back to the young woman who risked so much for them. "Be well, Ria'ta."

Turning, they left the room. Ria'ta slowly followed.

"We must go out of our way to reach the tunnel from this room, but it is still closer than the others would be. I believe that once Teal'c realizes that we are not in the rooms we were occupying and that our belongings are missing, he will spread the available Jaffa out and start a systematic search. We may find it difficult to reach the tunnel if they return soon."

Egeria nodded her understanding of their situation. "We will do the best we can."

Lantash nodded and indicated they should maintain an operational silence. As silent as shadows, they slipped from one room to the next until they came to a doorway that opened onto a short hallway. There were two doorways toward the opposite end and they would need to enter the second one.

He had chosen a longer and more circuitous route; one that was less likely to be used, and so far, they had met no one. They were now turning back toward the grand entrance hall, which was also the area of the semi-open hallway that they would have to traverse. This short hallway and the rooms beyond were the last obstacles between them and the hall and chamber that would lead them to their way out of the Palace.

He was startled when Ria'ta slid by him, put her finger to her lips, indicating that she would go open the door. She walked calmly down the hall to the door that he indicated that they needed to enter. Opening it, she looked around and then shook her head as she looked up and down the hall. She appeared confused as she turned and retraced her steps. Anyone watching her would believe that she had taken a wrong turn and entered the wrong room. Passing Lantash quietly, she nodded. It was clear. They continued to make their way toward the escape tunnel and freedom.

* * *

"You say they have been here for five days? That, in fact, _I_ have been here for five days?" Teal'c demanded of the most senior of the house staff. 

"I would swear it. Any of my people would swear the same. Even now, I am not sure you are not testing us in some manner," Peris responded firmly. "They even mentioned that the remaining staff would probably be arriving before the end of the seven days, which, it appears, has indeed happened."

Teal'c frowned. Who could have known that they would arrive early and yet still be here when they did arrive? What was their purpose for being here? They did not appear to be lying in wait for them. Surely they were not waiting for Apophis to arrive. An assassination attempt? Unlikely, since they were using such a high profile disguise. Such an attempt would not be able to throw suspicion on him, for he had witnesses that knew he had not been here. It could cause some doubt in Apophis's mind, he supposed, but even that was unlikely. Why else would someone attempt to pass themselves off as himself, though? It was time to enlarge the search. They would begin on the ground floor. He would gather the women and make sure that they were together and safe, and then start a room by room search. They would gather in the grand entrance hall.

"Jaffa. Kree." Teal'c led the way from the rooms that they were searching to no avail. Peris followed for lack of knowing what else to do in the situation. He had no way of knowing which one of the two men was the real First Prime of Apophis. For all he knew, neither of them was. This one, however, had Jaffa. The other one did not. They made this Teal'c's claim seem more likely. And the first one and his '_guests'_ had disappeared. It seemed to him that was the most telling bit of information he had. The man walking beside him must be the '_true_' Teal'c, First Prime of Apophis.

"Do you know why they are here? Did they give any reason for their visit?" Teal'c asked suddenly.

"They stated that Apophis was called away suddenly and wished for them to be entertained. They are great art collectors and they have spent every day examining the works of art from the paintings to the tapestries. Every piece of art in the Palace, in fact."

Teal'c looked grim. "Then perhaps we have found their reason for being here. No doubt they are thieves. Have they done nothing to cause you to become suspicious?"

"To my knowledge, objects of value have been little more than moved. I have seen them do no more than pick something up to examine it and then replace it, though they have looked at and admired many objects in the chambers. I will ask the others, but I am sure there is nothing of any value missing. Any item of value is guarded by an alarm system which has not been breached. The system has only been triggered twice since they arrived. Once was by one of my own people while cleaning, and the other was as one of the visitors was examining a statue, which they replaced after looking at it more closely. I truly do not believe that they are here to steal anything. They could have attempted to do so long before today, if that was their purpose." Peris sighed as he gave his information. This Teal'c was not going to like his tidy reason for the odd situation not holding up anymore than the other Teal'c would have appreciated him rebutting his statements. He watched as a muscle in the larger man's jaw jerked. No, he was not happy at all. He listened from his position in the demi-hall as they entered the grand entrance hall and Teal'c began to give orders.

"We will do a complete and thorough search, starting with the chambers down here. Do your best to take them alive. I wish to find out what plot is underway here, and if it is part of a larger conspiracy of some kind. If you cannot take them alive, then stop them any way that you can. I want at least four of you here in the grand entrance hall, should they attempt to escape this way. Go now." So saying, Teal'c turned to talk to the women that he cared for most and realized that Ria'ta was missing.

"Where is Ria'ta?"

Looking up from where they had been sitting, the women stared at Teal'c. "I do not know, Teal'c. We discussed the art on the ceiling, and talked a little about where we should start on the redecorating, but our information is too limited yet to plan much. She was here not long ago," Nal'ka said softly, trying to ease Teal'c's tenseness. "I did not sleep well last night and dozed off as we waited, so I imagine she became bored and decided to inspect some of the closer chambers. I noticed her look toward the door nearest to us several times, and you know how curious she is. She will return soon, and she will be careful, I am sure." She watched as his shoulders relaxed slightly.

Teal'c nodded, but walked over and opened the door to peer inside the chamber, just the same. The room was empty, but he thought that he could smell the scent that she used, so he left the door open, in case she was nearby and needed help. If she called, he wanted to be able to hear her. He decided that Nal'ka was probably correct. Ria'ta was likely to be using this time to begin planning what must be done to the Palace to ready it before Apophis arrived. He would give her a while before he became too concerned.

"I thought that I smelled her scent, Nal'ka. I am sure that you are right and she is exploring the rooms and making plans. I hope that she does not encounter any of these intruders. If you hear her, or anything else that sounds suspicious, call one of us at once. These imposters must know by now that we have arrived. They will be attempting to escape, so they should be avoiding this part of the Palace, but we do not yet know why they are here, and we must assume that they are dangerous until we find out otherwise. I will be sending you to your chambers shortly."

"Ria'ta will be safe, Teal'c. I am sure she is amusing herself, looking around, and redecorating in her head," she replied as she smiled at him. "Even if these people came into this area for some reason and came upon her, they would probably ignore her, assuming she is a servant. Please, do not worry so."

"You could be correct, but I have yet to see a female servant here. I believe Ra's preferences ran in the other direction."

"True, but Ria'ta will be careful, Teal'c. You must trust her."

Teal'c nodded and walked towards a few of his Jaffa, who were supposed to be keeping watch in the grand entrance hall. All they appeared to be watching was the ceiling and the erotic scenes painted there.

"You will watch the doorways and entrances to the rooms, rather than the ceiling. I do not believe that those we are searching and watching for will be found there. Keep yourselves concealed behind the pillars and the bases of some of the statues. You are leaving yourselves open to attack if there are enemies here." Teal'c watched them as they made their way to places of cover around the room before turning to the servants that had accompanied them.

Peris was standing to the side of the room, near a long semi-open hallway that led between one of the antechambers and the back of the room, where it led to another chamber and hall. Teal'c watched him walk toward them as he obeyed his summons. He believed that the young man knew nothing more about the imposters than he had already revealed.

As Peris drew near to them, he ordered, "Take Nal'ka, the other women, and the servants and get them settled into their chambers. I doubt that these intruders will bother them there." He turned to address them. "Be sure to lock your chamber doors, and do not come out until you are called. Remember to contact one of us at once if you hear or see anything suspicious."

"I will see to them at once." Peris bowed to them before turning and leading them toward the servant's chambers.

Teal'c watched them leave. Now, if he could only find Ria'ta and dispense with these intruders as easily, he could get on with the business that he had come to accomplish for Apophis.

And after that, he could spend the night wrapped in Ria'ta's arms. Their time together was almost over, gone. Soon, Apophis would come, and then they would be parted, perhaps forever. They needed to enjoy what little time they had left. He needed to convince himself that he would permanently give Ria'ta up to Apophis and take a woman of Apophis' choice as his own wife. Indeed, he needed, he must convince himself that he _could_ give Ria'ta up to Apophis. That he _could_ take a wife other than Ria'ta unto himself.

But, most of all, it was imperative that he convince himself that he would, that he _could_, stand by, attend, and assist Apophis to take Ria'ta as his own. He must be loyal to his Lord. He must, he would, and he _could_, allow Apophis to make her his Queen. Of course, he could. He simply had to remind himself that he was Apophis's strong, capable, and loyal First Prime. There was no question. He could give her up.

* * *

Lantash talked quietly into his radio, "Selmak, I hope our preparations are proving to have been sufficient. Samantha and I are at the point where we must decide which direction to go. We must try to go to the newly found escape tunnel, which means going through the open section of hall, or we must make our way to the other side of the Palace. There are Jaffa searching the lower chambers now. Ria'ta is here, and she has been following us to make sure that no one comes up behind us, but she must return to the others soon, or she will be missed." 

"It will be too risky for you to find your way to the other side of the Palace. There are either servants or Jaffa near all of the tunnel entrances, except the new one and the one that is farthest from where you now are, on the lower level. We will be able to come back into the Palace through the nearer tunnel and take up positions to lay down cover fire. It is the only way. From what recon that we have been able to do, we know that there are Jaffa on guard, as well as taking cover in the grand entrance hall, so it is likely that they will open fire on you as soon as you attempt to move through the open portions of the hallway. We will be ready for them."

Lantash was quiet for a moment. "Are you sure that is the best way, Selmak? Do you not think we could make it to the other tunnel?"

"Possibly, but they have the house servants watching as well as the Jaffa. If it was the only tunnel opening, you would have to attempt to reach it, but it is not. I believe that your best chance is the open hallway. The most recently discovered one is nearer. Thanks to our last minute planning session this morning, the diversion was easy to assemble. We will have it placed, ready to detonate, and be in position to lay down cover fire within ten minutes."

"We will wait here." Lantash released his radio connection and looked behind them as they crouched behind a large folding screen, much like the one in the chamber where Egeria had been found. Leaning toward her, he whispered, "I am going to tell Ria'ta to return to the others. I shall return shortly, my Queen."

Sam smiled. "You can call me Samantha, Lantash, or Egeria. My Queen is a little formal, don't you think?" She teased softly as she leaned forward and kissed him gently before her eyes glowed and Egeria returned. "She is correct, my mate. You must not be so formal. There may be situations that require you to be so at some future time, but these things will be discussed and decided upon later. For now, let us be close."

Lantash leaned forward, sharing a deep, slow kiss with her, and wanting, not for the first time, to lay her down beneath him and love her, long and hard. Ending the kiss with a sigh, he stepped reluctantly away, saying, "It will be as you wish, my mate." He smiled before standing and going to find Ria'ta.

He found her in the next room, seemingly engrossed in studying a painting. His voice low, he murmured, "You should return before they come to search for you, Ria'ta. Do not let trouble come to you because of us, please."

Following his example, her tone no more than the ghostly breath that only a symbiote could hear her, she responded to him, "I will not, Lantash. Do not worry for me. I am sure that Teal'c thinks I have simply begun planning my redecorating and wandered off. Do not distress yourself for me, as it is not necessary, I assure you. I will leave shortly, I promise." She thrust him back toward the doorway. "There is a guard coming, and I must steer him away from you. Go back, and stay behind the screen, until you can accomplish your mission by escaping. Please."

"Thank you, Ria'ta. You will long be remembered and honored by the Tok'Ra. We wish you well."

Ria'ta nodded and turned to intercept the Jaffa.

Lantash returned to the screen and his mate. Their teammates would be in position soon. They were close, so close, to succeeding. Crouching down next to Sam, he placed his arm around her as she sat on a low stool and held the urn. "Soon. Soon we will know what fate holds in store for us. We have done all that we can, our very best. Now, we will see if what we have done is enough."

Hearing voices in the other room, they sat quietly, barely breathing. Lantash now completely severed his radio connection. No one could contact either of them. Sam had severed hers before they began their trip to the escape tunnel.

Time seemed to stand still as they listened to the conversation in the next room.

"Ria'ta, Teal'c is looking for you. He is concerned. These intruders seem to have disappeared. Have you seen or heard anything?"

"I have been looking through some of the rooms and getting ideas for what we have to do before Lord Apophis arrives. I wandered around several of the chambers and have neither heard nor seen anything unusual. You are the first person that I have seen since I began looking around. Please tell Teal'c that I will return shortly. I want to finish this room, and the next one. It would seem to be a logical stopping place."

"I will do so after I check this next room. It will be the last one in this section of the bottom floor on this side of the Palace."

Lantash and Sam heard them enter the room. Ria'ta walked slowly, but nonchalantly, toward the corner where the screen stood and looked up at a painting that graced the wall above and to the left of it. She stepped almost completely behind it, turning back to watch the Jaffa leave before following him at a discreet distance. She did not look back.

The couple left the shelter of the screen and quietly made their way forward. The next chamber was empty. It was time to resume radio contact with their team, to see if they were in place and ready to implement the escape plan. If they were, then it was time for them to leave and head back to their own reality and Earth.

Lantash keyed his radio and waited to see if there was a response. It came in the form of information from Selmak. "Our people are ready. When you hear the explosion, enter the open hallway. There is another, more enclosed hallway at the end of it, and we will be covering you and waiting for you there."

"We are ready, Selmak."

Lantash turned to Sam. "We love you."

"I know. We love you too." She smiled at him, and then turned serious again. "Which of us should attempt the hallway first? Should we attempt it together?"

Lantash frowned, thinking through the different scenarios. Sighing, he finally suggested, "I think that I should be the first to go. They may not start laying down cover fire quickly enough. If one of us is going to be hit by staff weapons fire, it should be me. You and Egeria must survive, Samantha." He placed his fingers over her lips when she would have spoken and no doubt protested his statement. "No. Do not say it. You are the future of the Tok'Ra. You are the last hope of our people. You must survive at all costs, my love."

Sam drew a deep breath before nodding and smiling tremulously. "I know you're right, Lantash, but I don't have to be happy about it, or agree with it in my heart."

"I know. We simply have to believe that we will both make it through this. We will, no matter what it takes. We must believe that."

"Of course. And I have Egeria to help me now as well. We'll do alright. Her added strength will allow me…"

The explosion on the other side of the Palace was their signal to go. With one last look at Sam, Lantash sprinted from the enclosed portion of the hallway. Egeria would take control from Samantha and start out as soon as the cover fire was thick, and Lantash was well along the hallway. If they were very lucky, the Jaffa in the grand entrance hall would have been pulled away to the site of the explosion, and no one would even see them as they ran toward the next room. If they weren't lucky, then one, or both of them, would not only be seen, but might not make it through the hallway safely.

Fifteen feet along the open section of hallway a staff blast missed Lantash by inches, and all hell broke loose. P-90 fire erupted from between the pillars at the end of the grand entrance hall, and it was being answered by staff weapons blasts, but not all of the Jaffa were aiming at those firing at them. Many of those staff blasts were following him as he ran toward safety. At least one Jaffa, and perhaps more, were firing on him as he navigated the open hallway. Lantash dived behind one of the pillars along the hallway as a staff blast exploded pieces of it and they showered down onto him. He regained his feet and continued running in a zigzag pattern before diving for the protection of the walls at the end of the hallway.

He turned in time to see Sam take a direct staff blast hit and go down partway behind a pillar. She pulled herself slowly forward until she was completely behind it, but it was obvious that she had collapsed and was no longer able to move. Selmak and Sgt. Richards tackled him as he lunged to begin the run back to her side. It would be suicide for him to go back for her right now as the Jaffa continued firing toward the pillar and surrounding area. They had to take out the Jaffa that were covering the hallway before a rescue could be attempted.

Jacob swore. _"Damn it, Sel, she's closer to the other end of the hallway than she is to this one, but if we can get to her, we can take her to the sarcophagus that's on this floor. It's the one that Ra made available for his visitors to use. Reaching her and getting her to it will be difficult, but not impossible_."

_"Jacob, we do not use the sarcophagus."_

"_Selmak, I agree that using the sarcophagus on a daily basis drained the good from the Goa'uld. But using it once on my daughter is not going to turn her into an evil, selfish, raving egomaniac. I'm not leaving her here. Not when there is another alternative."_

"_All right. I'll talk to Lantash and we'll put together a – wait. What the...? What is that woman doing? Who is that?"_

Selmak turned to Lantash, asking him the same question aloud, "Who is that?" at the same time they heard the other Teal'c order his Jaffa to cease firing.

"It is Ria'ta," Lantash whispered, "the young woman that helped us to escape when we were captured by Apophis."

"What is she doing?" Selmak whispered, watching her as she ran toward Sam and crouched down behind the pillar with her, not trusting that the shooting had stopped, at least for the moment.

"I do not know, but I believe that she will try to get Samantha and pull her to safety. If she is successful, we must keep the Jaffa busy enough they cannot go after her. I must try to reach them before the Jaffa do, Selmak. Otherwise, they will have once again captured Egeria."

"What? What are you saying?"

"I have not had time to tell you, and we did not wish to discuss it over the radio. The seal broke on Egeria's stasis jar when I attempted to remove it from the mantle upon which it was set. Samantha took her, so that she would not die. She did it before Martouf or I could stop her, but there really was no other way, if we wished to take her back with us to our reality. Even if we could have reached you, either Anise or Jorlin would have had to give their lives for her, and chances are good that she would not have survived long enough for us to reach you, anyway. It was a voluntary blending, I assure you."

"I believe you. I know that you would not force Samantha to do anything that wasn't a free choice, Lantash." Suddenly, he aimed and fired his P-90 at a Jaffa that was making his way cautiously toward the young woman. She had reached Sam and was slowly pulling her back down the hall. The Jaffa's attention was successfully diverted from Ria'ta and what she was trying to accomplish. He jumped back and began once again to fire his staff weapon at them in return. The battle renewed in earnest as Ria'ta continued dragging Sam back down the hall toward the rooms that they had just left.

From the shadows, SG1's Teal'c watched his alternate reality twin Teal'c command his Jaffa. He fired at him as he turned to head toward the door into the rooms that would lead him toward the young woman, MajorCarter, and Egeria. He would keep him as busy as possible, as long as possible. He could not be allowed to interfere in what Ria'ta was attempting to do.

Teal'c glanced at the place where Ria'ta had disappeared, and then turned back to return fire on the one that seemed to be targeting him, although he could not see him clearly in the shadows.

He rejoined the fight. Ria'ta would be all right. The woman, whoever she was, was probably dead, and therefore, she could cause no injury to his Ria'ta. He would see to her after he had dispensed with these rebels, or whatever they were. Weapons fire barely missed his head. He had a battle to tend to. He would take care of the body and find out what Ria'ta was up to and scold her for it later.

* * *

Sam realized that she hurt even though Egeria was trying to shield her from the pain. She could tell that they would not survive the injury that they had received. It was much too serious. Egeria was holding death at bay for the moment, but they could not last for long. _"I am sorry, Samantha, but there is nothing that I can do. The injury is too severe and the blood loss too great."_

_"It's alright. It's a chance that we take every time we leave on a mission. We know that the odds are against us going into these things. Sometimes, people don't return. That's just how it is."_ Sam paused, and then said, _"Egeria, we're being dragged somewhere, aren't we?"_

_"I believe so, although, I have not yet been able to ascertain by whom, or where we are being taken."_

_"Can you get me conscious enough to let the person know to stop? To let them know that we won't make it, and that continuing to drag us is pointless?"_

_"Yes, I will be able to keep us alive and conscious for a time, Samantha. It is simply that I will not be able to allow us to survive."_

_"Then we need to take what little time that we have left to try to find you a new host. Your survival is crucial to the survival of the Tok'Ra as a species. Even if you must take a male for a short time until you can find a willing female, if there is a chance, we must take it."_

_"We will see. For now, we must find out what is happening. I need to work at keeping us alive, for the moment. For now, you must speak to the person moving us."_

_"I will."_

Sam heard a moan, realized it was herself, and then managed to get her eyes open. She could tell that someone had a hold of her under her arms, and that they were attempting to drag her across a floor. She tried to get their attention. "S-s-st-stop. Stop." She managed to get the word out, her voice barely above a whisper, but the person dragging her heard her.

"I cannot stop yet. I must get you to the sarcophagus before the fighting ends. I believe that it is in the next room. Only a little farther to go, I swear to you. Please, please, you must trust me. I will not allow you to die, or remain dead. You must return with Lantash and help him to continue to fight the Goa'uld wherever destiny now leads him. I will not fail him or you."

"R-Ria'ta?" Sam cleared her throat and tried again with better results. "You must stop. The Tok'Ra, they don't use the sarcopha..."

"I know. But, this time you will do so. I do not know who you are, but Lantash would not have risked his life to come for you the first time, nor would he have come back this time, if it was not important, if you were not important. You must live, and from what I have seen of your wound, you will not do so without the help of the sarcophagus. So no matter what, this one time, you will use it. It is my will that you live, and I am stronger than you at this time. You can berate me or kill me later, if you wish to," she panted, as she again strained to pull the slightly larger, heavier woman closer to the sarcophagus, "for it will be worth my death or every word of your anger, if you survive to fight against the Goa'uld."

Sam's lips quirked upwards, a travesty of a small smile. "Egeria says - that since you feel so strongly about it, we will - do our best - but, Ria'ta," Sam paused, to rest, gain breath and some strength before continuing, "There is an alternative…to using the sarcophagus. We could find her another host."

Ria'ta stopped for a moment. "Egeria? The Tok'Ra Queen? Now, I know why it was so important for them to come for you, and I am even more determined that you will survive. You must see that you must live for them. As Egeria, you cannot allow your children to perish from the universe, which they will, if you die. As their Tok'Ra and human mate, you must live for their love of you and yours of them. There is no time to find another host. And, it would be foolish to try when the means to survive is here and available," she chided softly, before placing her flat on the floor beside the sarcophagus. Sam could hear her moving around, and before long, she heard the slow grinding of the sarcophagus top opening. When it stopped, the young woman returned to her and once again grasped her under the arms to pull her closer to it, uncaring of the blood that was becoming smeared on her body and clothing.

As she dragged her up the steps of the sarcophagus, Egeria came forward to speak to her, and Sam's eyes glowed brightly as she looked up at the young woman. Her voice was stronger, and full of determination. "You must listen to me, Ria'ta. I have things which I must tell you. You, and you alone, will be the keeper of the secrets of the Tok'Ra in your universe. Their future will depend upon you. You must hold these secrets until you feel the time has come when they can be put to good use. Until then, you must tell no one. The information should be passed to the next generation, should you be unable to make use of it. However, I believe that you would make an admirable host yourself, so if you have a strong and brave consort, one that you can trust and depend upon, you should, perhaps, attempt once again to overthrow the System Lords. You will know best who could accomplish the most against them. But, only you will know when the time is right. I must have from you an oath that you will tell no one my secrets, until that time arrives, and that you will seek death rather than betray them."

Ria'ta stared at the Tok'Ra Queen. She somehow knew what she was about to be told. It would be a great challenge, a great responsibility, but it could set her people free. It could change the worlds as they knew them. Perhaps not today, or even tomorrow, but someday. She knew that she would give her oath to this Queen. And she would keep her word regardless of the cost to her personally. "You have it. I will hold my own counsel until I feel the time to act has come, and rather than betray your words, I will still my own tongue forever. This I promise you."

Egeria closed her eyes. It was obvious that the effort it was taking to talk was draining her badly. Feeling alarmed, Ria'ta spoke urgently, "You should wait to tell me until after you are healed. I need to place you within the sarcophagus." She watched her closely, seeing the life force slowly leaving her.

Egeria shook her head. "No. There is every chance that someone will come before I arise. You must have the information first. If your people get to me before mine, I may never get the chance to tell you. Listen carefully and remember what I say, for I will have the strength to say it only once."

Sam's bright blue eyes closed for a moment before Egeria once again gathered the strength to continue speaking. "When the time is right, you must go to a world called Azurat. In my time, before I was captured by Ra, it was unpopulated. There were very small deposits of Naquadah that had been mined out, so the waters were rich with it. And they teemed with food. The world was mostly water, another reason it was not populated."

"You must go there and walk straight from the Chaappa'ai to the edge of the large body of water that will lie directly ahead some short distance away. If you will sit at the edge of the water and call to her, Anasharya, my daughter, will come to you. Place your hands into the water, side by side, with your palms up. She will swim to you and first touch each of your finger tips. If she feels that you will be compatible, she will then swim onto your palms and allow you to lift her from the waters. Place her in a shallow chamber or on someone's chest and lie on your side facing her or them. Close your eyes, then open your mouth, and she will blend with you."

"If she no longer lives, then her clutch mates should come. They will touch only the fingers of your left hand. There should bemany thousand adult Tok'Ra on this world, Ria'ta. Enough to begin another assault against the Goa'uld once you have found hosts."

"If I survive, then I must leave you and go with Lantash to help his new family. Their Egeria was captured before she could travel to Azurat to give birth to more Tok'Ra, and those alive today in their reality are the last of their race. Though I cannot remain with you, I leave you with these secrets and thus this hope for your reality's future."

"I think you would make a good, strong Queen, Ria'ta. In you, our race would have a loyal and determined leader, something that they would need to allow them to become a viable, formidable force against the Goa'uld. They had mentors among the humans who helped our kind find hosts before; this time they may or may not have that help, and so it will be up to you. I believe that you would know where to find those who would become such mentors and wise ones for them."

Ria'ta listened as Egeria's voice became no more than a whisper as she gave her the Chaappa'ai address of the world sheltering her children, her daughter, indeed the last hope of the Tok'Ra in this universe. Her eyes closed as her breathing ceased, and Ria'ta knew that it was time to place her into the sarcophagus.

She stood back and watched as the top closed. She hoped that no one came looking for her, but knew that the longer she was here, the more likely it would be that it happened. She could not allow anything to happen to the Queen. She could not be permitted to fall into the hands of Apophis.

Though it was not cold, Ria'ta shivered as she stood watching and waiting for the sarcophagus to perform its miracle of healing. Where was Lantash? Surely, they saw her pull Egeria away, and knew that she would take her to be healed? Martouf would reassure Lantash, if needed. Why did they not come for her? Had they been injured? Killed? Captured trying to reach them? She refused to believe that had happened. They were still alive and on their way to rescue their mate and their Queen. She could still faintly hear sporadic weapons fire, though it did not sound so constant as before.

All she could do was hope that Lantash found them before Teal'c did. She knew that Teal'c loved her, but she did not know if he loved her enough to turn his back and pretend that he did not see what she was doing.

Though it was a subject that was never spoken of aloud, she knew that he would like nothing better than to see the System Lords overthrown, defeated, or removed. She also knew that he did not believe it was possible for it to ever happen. He felt helpless to ever do anything to gain them their freedom. He did the best he could to protect them all and by being sure that they all protected one another. She hoped he would continue to protect her in this.

If what Lantash and Egeria said was true, then when they left, they would be leaving completely. They would not only be leaving this world but this universe and this reality. They would be living their lives in a different reality. Surely Teal'c would not care as long as they were gone from here. She loved Teal'c, but she would not allow him to stand in the way of freedom for the peoples of the worlds from the tyranny of the System Lords. She could not allow him to stop her. If only he loved her enough to leave his place with Apophis. They could do so much together. But she was afraid that the chances of that happening were slim to none. She could not let her feelings for him sway her from her duty. She would not betray her fellow rebels, her family, her commitments, or her mission.

She sighed. It would take time for the sarcophagus to revive and heal Egeria and her host. She turned her back and slowly lowered herself until she was leaning against the sarc's golden side. For the moment, all she could do was wait.

And think. Definitely think. Egeria had placed the means to help the resistance, her world, and the universe directly into her hands, if only she was wise enough, and brave enough, to use it. But it all rested on her shoulders. Fear blossomed in her, but underneath the fear, she felt the stirrings of excitement and the rising of a new hope, and a new dream. All it would take was determination, luck, and finding the right people to work with, many of whom she already knew. It would take a huge leap of faith to become a host to a newly discovered symbiote, but she could do it. She would do it. As she had realized earlier, she knew that it would not be today or tomorrow, but someday before very long. Yes. Someday soon, she would go to Azurat, and if Anasharya accepted her, then she would accept the responsibility of becoming the host of the Queen.

Soon, she would see the culmination of the mission she had been sent to accomplish in the household of Apophis. She had discovered all of the information she had been sent to find, and she knew, without a doubt, that given enough time, they would have succeeded in their quest. But, time was at a premium, and they no longer had any left to wait upon.

Now, only destiny could lead them forward, and they could do no better than to follow where it led. It was hurtling them all at a frightening pace, though time seemed to stand still at the moment. It was an odd sensation to be both streaking toward the future and yet be standing still, stopped at a moment in time, as if waiting for the stage to be set for the next act to begin. Waiting for the threads to be woven into place in the tapestry of the universe by the fates, and the words to be written down and recorded, and so to be known for all time.

Her decision made, Ria'ta leaned her head back against the sarcophagus to await the rising of the Queen, her Queen, and the arrival of her rescuers…as well as the arrival of the man that she loved. The man that she would face with the zat held firmly in her hand, pointed steadily at him, never flinching, never wavering, ready to do what she had to do, _if_ the need arose.

She wiped a tear from her cheek as she picked up the zat'ni'ktel that she had taken from Egeria and settled in to watch the doorways, waiting for their destiny to arrive, and thus set them firmly onto the paths their futures were about to take.

TBC


	13. Hidden Depths, Ancient Secrets 13 WDL

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**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works.My web address is in my bio.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

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_**Where Destiny Leads has been nominated for a stargate fan award.**_

_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter 13**_

_**Hidden Depths, Ancient Secrets**_

* * *

Lantash moved silently through the rooms, Malek at his side, Selmak taking their six. They were taking a long, oblique path to reach the chamber that they suspected would be Ria'ta's ultimate destination. Their senses were tuned to interpret the least sound around them for any sign of a threat. 

The servants that had been told to help search for them had become less diligent, since the fighting began, obviously deciding that they would remain safer by keeping a distance from both sides. Their absence was appreciated, and it could only be hoped that they would continue to remain hidden away, hearing nothing and seeing less.

As the Tok'Ra continued to move stealthily down the halls, their minds dwelled on the scenarios that they could face when they finally arrived at their destination. At best, Ria'ta, Samantha, and Egeria would be alone, fine, and just setting out to find them. At worst, the women would all be captured, or dead, and the three of them would be captured along with them when they arrived, or follow in their fate, and their mission would once again have been a failure.

_"There are many scenarios that may await us, Martouf, not all of them completely good or bad. Therefore, we must be prepared for any contingency. Furthermore, our teammates will not be able to keep this reality's Teal'c penned down for long. He will soon manage to remove himself from the fighting in the grand entrance hall and begin searching for Ria'ta. I am sure that you are as aware as I am that there was an undertone of deep emotion in his voice when he ordered his Jaffa to cease fire, while she pulled Samantha to safety. He would have left to follow her at once, if Teal'c had not realized his intention and fired directly upon him, drawing him into combat by personally targeting him. We can only hope that he does not bring many Jaffa with him, so that we might keep the bloodshed at a minimum. Oddly enough, I have no desire to kill any more Jaffa than necessary to escape."_

_"So you heard the emotion as well. I believed that I did, but I was not sure."_ Martouf sighed tiredly. "_If we are correct, then the situation between them could seriously complicate matters, however, I do not believe that Ria'ta would betray us, no matter what feelings she has for him in return."_ He paused, contemplating their possible relationship before continuing, _"And, perhaps her feelings for him are what makes us wish to finish our mission with as little bloodshed as possible."_

_"I agree. I also agree that she would not betray us, and from the same depths of character, Teal'c will not be so easily swayed from his purpose, if he believes that he must capture or kill us, regardless of his feelings for her. He is Jaffa, and his loyalty to Apophis will hold sway over all else, Martouf."_

_"Yes. It is too bad, for his change of allegiance in our reality has proven to be of great benefit in the battle to defeat the Goa'uld. Even without the Tok'Ra, the Jaffa could go a long way toward freedom for themselves and the many other worlds in the universe, Lantash. Hard as it is for the Tok'Ra to believe, it could be accomplished. Of course, if they did defeat the Goa'uld, they would still have their dependency on the symbiotes, and I do not see how they could overcome that. As long as they have that dependency, they will never truly be free of them."_

_"I believe that there are defining moments in history that determine the outcome events. I believe that Teal'c's decision to join the Tau'ri is one of those defining moments. I am not saying that the Goa'uld cannot be defeated, if he does not join the Tau'ri, only that it was his decision to become 'sholva' and start a movement for the freedom of all Jaffa that set in motion the turning of their own warriors against them. It was simply one more of those defining moments in our new reality that has made it possible for the war against the System Lords to move forward instead of remaining almost deadlocked as it has for so many centuries."_

Lantash paused, his silence thoughtful, before continuing, "_As for your comments about the Jaffa in this reality and their dependency on symbiotes, it could be simply solved. All they would need to do would be to capture a queen, breed symbiotes, and dispose of them as they reach maturity. But enough of these wild speculations, for we know from personal experience that Teal'c has no intention of abandoning his loyalty to Apophis. The Jaffa's need for symbiotes and any lack thereof is a moot point. Furthermore, we have almost arrived at the sarcophagus chambers. I hope that Ria'ta met no resistance in bringing our Samantha and Egeria here."_

_"I believe that there would have been messengers sent into the grand entrance hall to inform Teal'c, if she had been found and Egeria and Samantha were with her. Since no Jaffa has arrived there, I believe that it is safe to assume that none of the Jaffa have yet come upon them. I am hopeful that we have not met them along the way because they chose a different route to return to the chamber where the tunnel is located, rather than that they attempted the hallway again, despite the added danger of being captured as they moved through the rooms toward the tunnel. If they are very careful, they could make it to the chamber where the tunnel entrance is, just as we have arrived here at the sarcophagus room without incident."_

"_Do not begin to breath so easily yet, Martouf. We have yet to enter and determine the situation completely. For all we know, the Jaffa have already found and removed them from this room, or Ria'ta never made it here at all. We assumed that she was heading here."_

"_Quiet! Listen! I believe that I hear voices inside, Lantash. Get as close to the door as you can, and try to see if it is latched." _Martouf held his breath as they inched nearer to one side of the chamber door. Lantash motioned Malek to the other side of the doorway and indicated that Selmak should maintain their guard, before slowly reaching out to touch it very slightly. It was unlatched and opened minutely, barely enough for them to hear the low conversation taking place inside the room.

"Ria'ta, I have long known that your capture and subsequent admittance into Apophis's personal household servants was not as unfortunate, unexpected, or unappealing to you as one would expect. The others who were captured with you have either escaped, or become household servants as well, though not as highly placed as you. I know that there were only a few of you, but I know, too, that you speak rarely to one another and, for only a very limited time when you do, as if you do not want anyone to associate you to one another. You have been absent for some time now, while our Jaffa and Teal'c hunt for an imposter who is impersonating him. When those things are viewed together, they are somewhat disquieting. I have sought you out on my own, while I am supposedly safely locked in my chamber, so that we will not be overheard. I wish us to be frank with one another."

She paused for a moment before continuing sadly, "I did not consider you a threat to us and had no wish to see you harmed. I felt that you were exactly what Teal'c needed in his life, for his wife has been gone for a long time and he has been much alone, too much alone, for far too long. But now, I find myself wondering, if I have misjudged you. I cannot allow you to betray or harm Teal'c in any way," the voice was still soft and low, but the steel in it indicated the depth of the intent in the speaker. "I do not wish harm to come to either of you. You are both dear to my heart."

Ria'ta sighed deeply and then smiled slightly, before saying gently, "It is not my intention to hurt or betray Teal'c, nor, I believe, do any of those he is hunting so earnestly wish to do so, Nal'ka. So long as he does not betray them to Apophis, or anyone else, they will leave him in peace and go their own way. Those that he hunts would help him, if only he would finally put aside his disbelief in himself, his abilities, and his dreams. I cannot tell you more, but I can assure you that I will never betray or hurt him as long as I have a choice. However, I will also be honest and tell you that I cannot allow him to harm those that he hunts, nor can I allow him to attempt to stop them in their quest, for to do so would be to kill a dream, which we all hold dear, whether we actively admit it or not."

"You are speaking of the Gods and things better left unsaid aloud within their very walls, Ria'ta."

"Yes, I suppose that I am, but I am not afraid to speak, for I know that they are not the Gods and Goddesses that they wish us to believe they are, and saying it aloud will not bring their wrath down upon our heads, for they cannot hear us. Truly, Nal'ka, do not fear them so, for their power comes not from the divine, but from chemical reactions of their bodies with certain elements that they have learned to use. They have no powers granted to them that are other-worldly, I promise you."

"So I have heard. Teal'c, also, has declared it to be so, and we have trusted and followed him for a very long time. He has never led us astray, and we have given him our faith about these things as well. As for talking about these things, it is simply that it is safer to believe that the Gods have ears, as we all know that the walls can certainly have them. What you are saying is no great shock to me. But, it makes no difference, for their power is still greater than ours to combat them."

Ria'ta shook her head. "You are wrong, Nal'ka, and so is Teal'c. There are those who would help us. It is being accomplished in other universes even as we speak, and it could happen here as well. Teal'c is the key to our success, Nal'ka. He has always been the key to success in our worlds. He has the strength, the following, and the respect of many Jaffa. They would be swayed by him. The people would be swayed by him as well. And the Tok'Ra would have given us all the help that they possibly could have."

"It is too late for that, Ria'ta, for they have perished from our worlds. I will tell you a secret that I have locked in my heart. I was so saddened when I heard that they were indeed gone from us. They saved so many, yet we could not save them in the end." She stopped and bowed her head for a moment and when she looked back up at Ria'ta, tears threatened to fall and she whispered, "I feel so guilty. They saved my little sister and young brother. They are on a safe world. I wish that I had done more, tried harder to help them. I allowed my fear of Apophis to hold me back and I should not have. I have manipulated him for several years, and I could have helped them more. If I had it to do over again, I believe that I would stand with them, help them in the many small ways that those of us in service to the System Lords have access to. I should have helped them to escape, but I was too afraid. I was wrong not to act."

"Would you truly do so now, Nal'ka? Would you risk your life to help, to save the worlds of our universe?"

She was quiet for a long time, staring blankly into the distance, lost in thought, before turning back toward Ria'ta. "Yes, I would. Eventually, you are going to tell me something about the Tok'Ra. Perhaps that they have not perished from our universe, and that you have found proof of their existence."

"I sensed something in you when the last of the Tok'Ra attempted to escape, you know. You were desolate when Teal'c told you that all of them had been killed. But then something made you doubt it, and now, you have found out something more. I do not believe your original reason for being captured, and that becoming a member of Apophis's household had anything to do with the Tok'Ra, but I believe that they became involved with your mission. Yes. That is the word. Your mission."

"Yes." The agreement was spoken quietly and the two women fell silent as they each contemplated their own thoughts.

Suddenly, Nal'ka seemed to realize that she was sitting on the floor next to a sarcophagus. "Ria'ta, why are you sitting in this room next to that thing? Why have you not gone back to reassure Teal'c that you are all right and that nothing has happened to you? What exactly is occurring here? Do you know what is happening and who these intruders are? Did you know before we arrived that they would be here?"

"I believe that I can answer those questions for you, Nal'ka, starting with the last one first. Ria'ta had no foreknowledge of our presence, and she did not know that we had survived, until she came upon us in one of the ante-chambers."

"As for why she is still sitting in this chamber, I believe that she is awaiting our arrival, and the rising, if I am not mistaken, of our mate from the sarcophagus," Lantash said softly, as he stepped silently into the room, zat gun held at the ready, but not in an aggressive position. Nal'ka gasped, and leaped swiftly to her feet, whirling to face him. She recognized him at once, and she stumbled backward into Ria'ta.

"Lantash. Martouf. So, you did not die after all." Looking beyond him to Jacob, Selmak, Devlin, and Malek, she noticeably paled. "But, Teal'c said that he saw you both disintegrated. He saw it with his own eyes, and he would not lie about something like that to us. He would not have lied to Apophis about that, if it were not true." She was visibly shaking, and Ria'ta quickly put her arm around her, reassuring her with her touch.

Her voice low and soothing, she said softly, "These men are not from our reality, Nal'ka. Only Martouf and Lantash survived from our reality. I do not know how he survived, but I have always sensed that Teal'c was not sure if he actually died or not. He would never admit as much, but I have always known that he was not telling me the truth about that day when it came to Martouf's death, regardless what he told Apophis."

"And, as you can see, he did not, in fact, die. Devlin, Malek, Selmak, and Jacob, however, did die, and they will tell you themselves that they do not belong here; that they have come only to retrieve something, before returning to their own time and space."

"She is speaking the truth, Nal'ka," Selmak assured her firmly. "We are not of this universe in this reality, but from one in a reality that is parallel to yours. We are not here to stay, or to interfere with your lives. We came only to retrieve something of the Tok'Ra's, since you no longer have need of it in your reality. In our reality, we do need it, desperately. When Lantash arrived in our time and space, and he realized that he could not viably return here, we decided to come and retrieve it, if at all possible. All we wish, now that we have found it, is to take it and return to our own reality. We will not be returning, I give you my word."

"Ria'ta said that you would help Teal'c. I am not sure what she meant by that, or why she believes that Teal'c needs your help, but are you saying that you will leave him, if he needs you and your help, even though you would be able to leave without hindrance, if you gave it?

"Like you, I am not sure how we could help him, or why he would ask our help. From what I understand, they were not exactly on friendly terms the last time any Tok'Ra were alive here in your reality. If you mean as a bargaining chip for an uncomplicated and unencumbered return to our own universe and reality? Then, certainly, we would not be adverse to…discussing it."

"There are things that you do not yet know, Selmak. Lantash does not know, either, but this is not the time to go into long discussions. I am sure that Egeria will explain when she awakens." Ria'ta wished that she could share Egeria's ancient secrets with them, but knew that it was not her place to tell them. Egeria would explain what she left behind in her old reality when she felt that the time was right to do so, and not before.

"I perhaps misspoke to Nal'ka. The help that you give to Teal'c will benefit both sides. And, the truth is that much of how the remainder of this plays out will, perhaps, remain between Teal'c and myself."

"Samantha will explain it to you once you are back in your own reality, unless, that is, we are unlucky enough to have the Jaffa and Teal'c find us before she arises and we don't survive," Ria'ta added, almost under her breath. The more time that passed, the more uneasy she became. Her fear of a confrontation between the Tok'Ra and the Jaffa was growing. She wanted to avoid it, if possible. She just was not certain how. If Egeria did not arise soon, the Jaffa would arrive and Teal'c would be with them. She could feel it coming. She only hoped that if it had to happen, the outcome would be good, rather than the bad that she was afraid it would be.

* * *

Teal'c sighed to himself as he made his way quickly down the hallways and through the rooms, a few Jaffa behind him. He could not believe that Ria'ta would take the woman to a sarcophagus, but it was beginning to look as if that was exactly where she must have taken her. Why? Why would she take such chances, risk her life before both friendly and enemy fire, wear herself our physically, cause him such agony of fear and worry, all for a woman that she did not even know? What was the matter with her? He had never known her to act so rashly. 

He stopped dead in his tracks, and the Jaffa walking behind bumped into him. He looked over his shoulder at them sharply, but said nothing as he recommenced walking, albeit much more slowly. He had just answered his own question. Not only had he never known her to act so rashly, he had never really known her…at all.

He knew that her family had been burned out. Their farm was destroyed in a Goa'uld attack many years ago, and they were no longer living on the world where she was born. She never mentioned where they lived now, though, which seemed odd, as he thought about it. She had a brother in service in one of Lord Yu's households and a cousin in Bastet's.

She had been desperate to get work in Apophis's household. Evidently, wherever her family was, they could not help her, and her alternative to Apophis's household would have been prostitution on a mining world. Mining planets were not good places to go into that line of "_work._" She had preferred being, hopefully, one rich man's whore over being one whore to many poor men. An obviously sensible choice, in his opinion. Managing to be "_captured_" was the only way that she had to bring herself to Apophis's attention. With her looks, it had worked.

He knew her age, her eye color, and that she was a natural blonde. She loved children and animals. She took in strays, fed them, cared for them, and she sang when she worked. Her eyes sparkled when she laughed and her smile would light the room. Her body was luscious and could drive a man wild with desire.

And, soon, she would become Apophis's Queen. No matter what he did not know about her, he must retrieve her for that reason, if for no other. But the knowledge that she was not what she appeared to be, that there were hidden depths and buried secrets that he did not know, made him uneasy.

He frowned more fiercely than before. He had always suspected that she had helped the Tok'Ra escape, had suspected that at the very least, she was a Tok'Ra sympathizer, but now he was beginning to wonder if she had become Apophis's lover for a more sinister reason.

Why was she really in his bed and with him day and night? What was she learning, and was she reporting it to anyone? Could she be part of a resistance group? He groaned to himself. She would never allow herself to become Apophis's Queen, if that were so, for she could not allow the Goa'uld to have access to her memories, her knowledge.

Furthermore, where did these people, these imposters, who were so obviously unafraid of being caught here, fit into all of his speculations? Had she known that they would be here? Perhaps even made arrangements to meet them here? No, that made no sense. If she had made arrangements to meet someone, it would not be done in such an obvious way. He would not believe that she knew of these people before her arrival here, though he could believe that she might have recognized them, just as he thought that he had recognized them.

But, that, too, he refused to delve too deeply into, for the people that he thought he had seen running through the demi-hall were both dead. He sighed again. They were supposed to be dead, but he had seen neither of their bodies with his own eyes and had only rumor about the woman's death. The other, he had thought he saw after he was blown to pieces, and so, he could not be sure.

He mentally shrugged his shoulders. He must find Ria'ta and this woman. He would get his answers, and then he would know what he should do. He let his mind wander to the past, even though it was pointless to wonder about might-have-beens.

It seemed that since meeting and coming to love Ria'ta, he had been dwelling more and more on the past. What might have transpired, if the Tok'Ra had not been defeated? What if he had found the courage to defy convention and gone against Apophis? Many opportunities had come his way, and he had thrown them all away. What if he had at last said yes and taken a chance? Would Apophis have become the Supreme System Lord, or would he have fallen instead? Would the Tau'ri have failed, if he had been there to steer them through some of the mistakes that they made? Why had he never found the courage to free himself from Lord Apophis?

He sighed yet again. It did not matter now. The past was just that, the past, and he had work to do for his Lord. He had already made his decisions, and it was too late to change them now. Therefore, he would do whatever he had to do to protect those that he had sworn to protect. And these imposters, whoever they were, and whatever they wanted, could very well pose a threat to all of them as well as to Apophis. They must be found, questioned, and then eliminated.

After that, he might pursue these questions that plagued him. And Ria'ta. He would definitely speak seriously to Ria'ta, for if she was not what she said she was, then she must get as far away from Apophis as possible. And helping her to escape, well, that was something that could cost him his life and he was not really prepared to do that, was he? There was little point in thinking of those things. Until he talked to Ria'ta, his thoughts were nothing but speculation and any planning he did could very well be for naught.

Stopping again, he turned to the Jaffa following him. "I do not believe that this is an efficient way to check the rooms. You two will continue on with me, the remainder of you will proceed back the way we came and then continue on to the rooms on the far side of the Palace. We three will continue searching on this side, but I believe that they may have left here and somehow slipped over there. Spread out once you are over there, and when you finish the rooms on the bottom floor, proceed to the next floor."

"What of Ria'ta, Teal'c? Do you wish us to bring her to you along with the woman she took?"

"I believe that the woman is dead and that Ria'ta is probably very much shaken. She may even be hiding behind something, or in a small ante-chamber. If you find her, then see to it that she is taken to Nal'ka and that I am apprised at once. If the woman is still with her and is alive, see to it that she is given medical care at once. I wish her alive for questioning, if at all possible."

Bowing their heads in understanding, the Jaffa turned and began to retrace their steps. Teal'c turned and resumed his journey in the direction which Peris had assured him that a sarcophagus could be found. When Ria'ta had failed to return, he had asked the young man where she could have taken the obviously badly injured woman, and Peris had at once indicated that a sarcophagus lay within the Palace wing that Ria'ta was in. No doubt, Ria'ta would have found it during her wanderings thorough the many rooms. She might take the woman there, but Teal'c was not convinced of it until now.

Now that he'd had time to think, he was almost sure he would find her there, and he did not wish the other Jaffa to be present when he confronted her and the woman, whoever she might prove to be. The two Jaffa with him now were loyal to him over all others, and he could trust them with anything they might see or hear.

If the woman _was_ Samantha Carter of the Tau'ri come back to life, well, then, his life had suddenly become, not only more complicated, but very much more confusing. That meant that he had probably also seen Martouf and Lantash of the Tok'Ra. He hoped that he found the sarcophagus room before very much more time elapsed. He must find them before the imposters managed to find them. He needed answers; he needed answers, soon, before his thoughts and questions drove him insane.

* * *

The five people in the room continued to stand and watch one another for a short time. The Tok'Ra patiently, and Ria'ta warmly, while Nal'ka's gaze was guarded and suspicious, yet hopeful. 

As they became more comfortable with one another the three men shifted their attention to the sarcophagus. "How badly was she injured, Ria'ta?" Lantash murmured evenly, his voice low and smooth, no hint of his anxiety being allowed to show through either his demeanor or his tone. He could have been asking about the weather, or so one would have thought, unless you listened closely and heard the minutest tremor and the merest waver hovering there.

Ria'ta paused, holding her breath for a moment before saying, quietly, "She did not survive, Lantash. I am sorry. I tried to get her to the sarcophagus as quickly as I could, but she was very badly injured. She passed just as I was ready to lift her inside. I believe that is why it is taking so long."

He nodded abruptly, before managing to say, "Yes, of course, that would be the reason. It will take some time for her to both revive and heal." He again paused to gather himself, before asking, "How many injuries did she have?"

"As far as I could tell, only one that was serious, but it was quite severe. The others were all minor, but there were many of them. There was quite a bit of blood loss," she stopped to wave her hand toward the floor and the streaks of blood that she had not yet wiped up, "as you can see. I did try to make sure that we left no trail in the hallways and rooms, but I did not bother in here. By the time someone traces us here, it no longer matters if they are attempting to follow a trail."

Lantash smiled slightly, "That is very true, Ria'ta. You have done more than we could have asked or expected of you. Once again you have earned our thanks and gratitude. We will be forever in your debt, and I only wish we were in a position to repay you."

Ria'ta shook her head, then smiled impishly, first, at him, and then, at Selmak and Malek. "You have no way of knowing, at the moment, what you have given me, but I assure you that you have given me a gift of greater value than any other you could give. You have given me hope for our future, for all of our world's futures. You owe me nothing. You will understand when you return to your own time and space, I promise you."

Lantash nodded. "I have no choice, nor wish, but to believe you. I will take your word as truth, and say no more about it."

"Thank you, Lantash, it truly is unnecessary." She turned back to gaze at the sarcophagus, and then walked toward it. Nal'ka followed her, puzzled by the sad, almost longing look in her friend's eyes. The three men took up positions across from them on the other side of the device and the room settled into a hushed, waiting silence.

Soon the Tok'Ra found that they had melded back into the shadows of the walls and furnishings of the rooms, and the two women found chairs some distance away, carrying out their vigil in relative comfort. They sat, unspeaking, lost in their own thoughts. Time passed slowly and tension seemed to be re-entering the room. Surely, the sarcophagus would open soon, now.

Instead, the door on the opposite side of the room opened and Teal'c gazed into the room. His eyes went immediately to Ria'ta sitting calmly upon a chair between him and the sarcophagus. She showed no alarm or excitement, no dread or fear. The eyes she turned to him were clear and trusting. He hesitated upon the threshold for a moment before stepping farther into the room, followed by two of his Jaffa. Of all the scenarios he had imagined, this was not one of them. His Ria'ta was sitting as calmly as if she was taking afternoon _ka'sech lapt _with Nal'ka.

He stopped as he reached the women and placed his hand on Ria'ta's shoulder, looking up, as a shadow moved and stepped forward to greet him. Both of the Jaffa brought their staff weapons to bear on the man standing there, though Teal'c raised his hand to stay them, noting that Lantash was making no threatening gestures.

"So, you did survive. I have often wondered if what I thought I saw that day was real, or my imagination. Why have you come here, Lantash? Do you not realize that your life will be forfeit?"

Lantash shrugged. "I do not think that my death is in your best interests, or even something that you are particularly interested in, since Apophis is not here at the moment. As for why I have come, that is simple enough to answer. I came to complete the mission that was interrupted a little over a week ago. I have now done so, and as soon as possible, I will depart, taking what I sought with me, not only away from this Palace, but away from your universe. I am no longer of your reality, Teal'c, and as such, after this day, we will never cross paths again."

Teal'c frowned. "I do not know why you think that I would believe such a story. Nor do I care. You will be a great prize to take to my lord, and I will enjoy turning you over to him. My rewards will be great."

"I am afraid that I cannot allow you to do that, Teal'c. I had hoped that we could come to some kind of sensible and bloodless agreement such that neither your people, nor mine, would have to die. I still hope that something can be worked out. But if it cannot, I must tell you that I will be leaving here, and I will be taking my mate with me. If your people, and you, must die for me to be able to do so, then so be it."

Teal'c laughed as he faced Lantash. "I am not sure how you believe that you can stop us from taking you with us, but, by all means, you are welcome to try. I believe that my Jaffa are more than capable of shooting you before you can do much harm."

"Yes, of course they could, but then, you see, my friends would probably shoot them first, and a ribbon device is quite quick." Lantash raised his hand and threw both Jaffa against the far wall as Selmak and Malek made themselves known, covering Teal'c with a zat and a P-90. "We will not harm any of you, Teal'c. We wish only to return to our own reality with the article we came to retrieve."

Teal'c shook his head, as he frowned. Turning slightly toward his Jaffa, his eyes widened as he realized that Ria'ta, too, held a zat in her hand, and that, although it was not pointed at him, it was not pointed at the Tok'Ra either. It was, in fact, pointed at his Jaffa, and Nal'ka was tying them up. He blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the scene before his eyes, but it would not go away. His Ria'ta was holding his Jaffa captive while one of his oldest friends tied them up!

Without conscious thought, Teal'c moved toward his Jaffa and the women with them. The three Tok'Ra followed in parallel, keeping distance between them and continuing to keep the doors to the room within view. They wanted no surprises. They moved toward the other end of the room, the sarcophagus forgotten for the moment.

Suddenly Teal'c's head swung back to the three men across from him and he stated bluntly, "You are dead. I saw you die and then be disintegrated. I saw it happen. I was there, close enough to know that it was done. The only one that I could not be absolutely sure was dead, was Martouf and Lantash."

"I did not die, Teal'c, but Jacob and Selmak and Devlin and Malek did. These are not the same people that you saw die that day. I have already told you that I am no longer a part of this reality, and I am telling you the truth. That day, the day we escaped, you saw what happened to them. You also know that I went through the Chaappa'ai. I entered a very large building and ran into a storage room. I had been injured several times. I refused to be returned to Apophis, so I set my zat to overload, but I dropped it. I picked up a control to a mirror that was actually a doorway, a portal, to parallel universes, instead of my zat'ni'ktel. Somehow, I turned it on, and then fell into it. What you saw that day was me in an alternate reality. One where Jacob and Selmak, Devlin and Malek, and many other Tok'Ra are still very much alive and doing well in their battle against the Goa'uld. It is now my home reality because in that reality, I was no longer living. My mate was alive there as well, so I decided to stay. There is much for me there, Teal'c."

Lantash smiled wryly before continuing, "For one thing, you are my friend in my new reality. You are a member of a Tau'ri SGC team. You have started a freedom movement of the Jaffa and between the Tok'Ra, the Tau'ri, and the Free Jaffa, the Goa'uld have had a few major setbacks and are not doing nearly as well there as they are doing here. That is why I came back. I left something here that is desperately needed there. I now have it, and I am taking it back with me. I meant what I said, Teal'c. I will return to my new life, to my mate, to everything that my new reality has to offer. No matter what. Nothing, not even you and Apophis, will stand in my way. I do not wish to kill you, or your people, but if I must, I will."

Teal'c stood in shock as he heard another voice added to Lantash's, "Neither will I allow you to stop him, Teal'c. As much as I love you, I love my freedom more. I hope that you will listen to what he has told you, and think about what he has said, for it is very important. If you love me, you will do this." Ria'ta's voice was soft, but firm.

"It matters not how I feel, Ria'ta, for when Apophis arrives, you will be implanted with his Queen and as his Queen, anything we had together will be gone. She will allow nothing of what we have felt for each other to survive."

Ria'ta shook her head in wonder and sorrow. "You will truly allow this to happen? You will betray not only me, whom you profess to love, but your own deepest beliefs? Your deepest desires? You will stand by and assist as everything that I am is subjugated to a Goa'uld?"

Teal'c stood silent, the muscle in his jaw jerking wildly, his emotions obviously erratic.

"I will take my own life first, Teal'c. Never will I submit myself to that kind of torture."

"That will not be necessary, Ria'ta. We will take you with us and find you a safe place to…," a deep, dusky, and obviously aristocratic voice sounded from behind them, cutting off Lantash's words. Caught up in the emotions of the moment, no one had noticed the sarcophagus opening. Egeria, truly a Queen, stood regally behind them. She had found the secret panel worked into the sarcophagus and taken out the ribbon device.

Her eyes glowed and her voice reverberated as she stepped out and swung her hand toward Teal'c, smiling evilly. "Kneel before your Queen, Jaffa, for now you belong to me."

TBC


	14. Until We Meet Again 14 WDL

___**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise _

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to the Symbiotica Archive, where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works. The web address is in my bio.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

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_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**Until We Meet Again**_

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Teal'c whirled toward the sarcophagus, only to stop and stand in shock, unable to move. He stared at her as if he could not understand what she said. "Did you not hear me, Teal'c? My host informs me that you are called Teal'c. You are no longer in the service of Apophis. From this day forward, you shall serve only me and my children. I believe that you would make a fine consort to bequeath to my daughter, should I ever have one." 

Lantash suddenly found that he was able to breathe again. His mate had not lost her mind, self, or body to a suddenly transformed, evil Egeria and become a Goa'uld. Egeria was simply seeing how far Teal'c would allow her to push him before he demanded an explanation for her bizarre statements. She was also capturing his attention and attempting to diffuse the situation by centering the attention on her, rather than allowing them to dwell, at this point, on the consequences of what their future actions could mean to them. Both Teal'c and Ria'ta had both said things that the other needed to think carefully, long, and deeply about. Continuing in the conversation at this point would gain them nothing and could only cause problems for all concerned in the future…of both realities.

Turning to the others, she said calmly, "Greetings, my children." She winked quickly, yet unobtrusively, at Lantash, "And my mate, I am pleased to see that you and at least part of my household have arrived to escort me from this, ah, place. Shall we return to our home? No, wait, that will cause a problem, will it not? What shall I do with my new Jaffa? I cannot have two Teal'cs in the same reality, can I? My host informs me that will cause my second Jaffa to, err, blow apart from temporal distortion, ah, that is, cascade failure."

Suddenly, the alternate Teal'c seemed to find not only his tongue and his voice, but his ability to use both, "What trickery is this? You are dead, Samantha Carter. You have been dead far too long for the sarcophagus to revive you."

Sam came forward to answer him, "No, actually, Teal'c, I was only dead for a minute or so. Ria'ta got us into the sarcophagus really quickly. I believe that you're thinking about the Samantha Carter from this reality, and, from what Lantash told me about that, I think that you're right and the sarcophagus wouldn't be able to bring her back. However, I'm not from this reality; I'm from an alternate reality, as I'm sure someone here has tried to tell you. I think that as soon as everyone's ready, we really need to get back before being in the same time and space that you're in causes our Teal'c some severe problems."

Teal'c's mind latched onto the mention of his other self. It was the one thing that could possibly convince him that he was not losing his mind, and prove that these people really were from another reality. It was, perhaps, the only thing that could convince him that there was no nefarious plot afoot to steal, kill, destroy, dishonor, or otherwise cause havoc in his own life and world.

They simply wanted to take their queen and go home. The thought jarred him back into serious thinking. Their Queen. They wanted to take their Queen.

So, that was what the Tok'Ra's mission had been the day that they were captured. It had been one last mission to find, save, and release the Tok'Ra Queen. Egeria. She had long been thought dead. Evidently, that had not been true. She had been a captive of Ra. Two thousand years of captivity was a long time, and evidently, the Tok'Ra had not been aware of it until recently. If they had been, they would have tried to rescue her long before now.

Well, if they wanted to take her from this reality, good riddance to them. All of them gone in one fell swoop. Allowing them all to simply leave was sounding better all the time. If he could just get everyone to shut up about them…or perhaps they could act out some little escape scene for them. That might work better. What was he thinking? Allowing them to escape? He shook his head.

Egeria came forward and looked at him sharply, knowing from his expression what he was probably thinking, and murmured, "Do not look so amazed at your thoughts, Teal'c. It is only normal to want to rid yourself of an obviously unpleasant situation. One not of your own making, and which you would prefer to have had no knowledge. It is too bad that I was not found a day earlier, but I was not, so we must make do with what we have to work with now."

"I no longer hear even sporadic sounds of weapon fire from the front entrance," Malek interrupted the conversation to point out. "Either one side has overtaken the other, or they have decided that firing at each other is a pointless waste of time when it is obvious that neither side will be able to damage the other."

"It is quite probable that my Jaffa have overcome your forces," Teal'c stated firmly. "They are well trained, and know that you must be found and eliminated before you can carry out whatever plot you have devised against Apophis."

Selmak sighed loudly, "I can see that you are just as stubborn as your alternate. There is no '_plot'_ against Apophis. We have no desire to see Apophis and are quite content to return to our own reality, where Apophis has been deceased for quite some time. We prefer him that way, actually."

Nodding toward the doorway, Malek said firmly, "Do not be so sure that your Jaffa have triumphed, Teal'c, for the SGC and Tok'Ra teams we have assembled are quite proficient as well. Our mission here is extremely important to us, and we have every intention of seeing it through to a successful completion with, or without, your cooperation. Your best course of action, at this point, would be to simply step aside. Whether you will heed good advice, or not, is yet to be seen, of course."

Teal'c once again appeared to be rooted to the spot where he stood. He stared at the doorway across the chamber and saw himself standing there. What he saw was his exact replica down to the beads in his hair and beard. Exactly like him, with the same dark hair, eyes, and skin. The same full lips, strong jaw line, and erect posture. He had the same stance, muscular chest, and legs. He reflected back every feature, look, and expression, all of it. Furthermore, he stood looking back at him, casually unconcerned, obviously unsurprised and completely, utterly, at ease with the situation that he found himself in.

"I feel that I should tell you that I have taken care of the Jaffa, and that they will no longer hinder our escape from this place."

Lantash smiled grimly before giving a short bark of laughter, "I admit I would like to know how you accomplished that, Teal'c."

Teal'c inclined his head briefly toward the man that he had come to call a friend over the last week, and a brief glimmer of mischief lit his dark brown eyes before it was extinguished, "Of course, Lantash. I simply approached them from behind, and they, believing me to be their commander, did as I asked, when I requested that they follow me into one of the antechambers where the other SGC members were waiting to disarm them. They will give us no more trouble. The numerous and sundry servants have been confined to their quarters for the present time as well."

"Nicely done, Teal'c," Lantash responded. Standing protectively at Egeria's side as her consort, he looked from one Teal'c to the other. "Perhaps one of us should now make the introductions that appear to be needed here. I believe that I should do those honors, as I am the only one here who actually knows both of you."

He turned to the Teal'c from the reality they were in and smiled briefly. "As we have been trying to explain, we are from a different, parallel, reality to this one. At least, I am now, although as you know, before I fell through that portal, I was of this reality."

He paused as their own Teal'c stepped closer. The two of them were true images of the other. So exactly the same that it was uncanny. "Teal'c, I'd like you to meet one of your alternate reality twins, Teal'c, formerly First Prime of Apophis, currently a proud member of Stargate Command, Planet Earth. His position is on their Alpha, or First, team and its designation is, in fact, SG-1. As such, he is much respected by his fellow free Jaffa, his Earth co-workers and peers, and the Tok'Ra. He has accomplished much to free the worlds of our universe from the plague that is the Goa'uld."

Teal'c shook his head as he tried to absorb what he was being told. The information battered at him. He could no longer deny what they were telling him. They were not of his world. This man facing him, this Teal'c, had taken the opportunity offered by the Tau'ri to join with them. He did not know the circumstances in which they had met, whether they had been the same, but that did not really matter. What mattered was that he now had his answer. It would have made a difference. It would have helped his people. But the Tok'Ra were gone. The Tau'ri were defeated. His universe was doomed to live beneath the yoke of Goa'uld tyranny.

But theirs was not. Perhaps he could do nothing for his own worlds, but he could ensure that he helped himself do the right thing in this other reality. So be it.

Drawing a deep breath, he allowed his eyes to lock with his own, sending waves of emotion through him. "I have failed my people in my reality, Teal'c. I will not stand in your way. You took up the challenge and found the courage to step forward away from all you knew. I never found it. For that lapse in courage, I will always feel a profound regret and deep shame. I will help you, and in doing so have at least some small measure of contentment in knowing that somewhere my people are free."

The SGC Teal'c shook his head and stated emphatically, "Your reality has evolved differently than ours. From what we have been able to ascertain, though the people themselves are very much alike and have had some very similar experiences, the "_events" _that have occurred have either been quite different when they occurred, or have happened at different times. We do not know how long ago our two realities diverged, but we know that it was more than ten years ago, when the Tau'ri first stepped into the Chaappa'ai. That much divergence makes it impossible to say that an action a person did or did not take, made a difference in the outcome of the reality. System Lords in our two realities have taken different paths, as have Tok'Ra, Jaffa, and Tau'ri. Timelines are not the same, so comparisons cannot be made. In our reality Egeria has died, whereas here, she is still alive."

"Therefore, as you can see, had you taken the step when it was first offered to you, the outcome might have been very different from what it was when I took my opportunity. When the time comes for you to break from Apophis, you will recognize it, for I believe that it is still before you. I believe that you have been planning for it, for years, which is why you have not severed your ties to your tribal duties."

"Do not despair of helping your people. You have kept many safe for many long years, just as Bra'tac before you did, and his father before him did." Teal'c looked over at Egeria, and then to Ria'ta, before looking back at this reality's Teal'c. "As for the Tok'Ra and the Tau'ri, do not fool yourself into believing that each reality must win against the Goa'uld in the same manner, but do not turn away when an avenue opens up to you. The time may come when old allies are again viable options for you. If so, do not turn against them."

Teal'c nodded, and then looked around the room. His Jaffa were standing, watching, and listening to the conversation, their faces stoic. Thank the Gods; he had brought two of his most faithful. He could trust them even if he told them he was deserting, so he had no real qualms about them hearing this.

One of them spoke to him now. "We will do whatever you feel is best, Teal'c, you know this. Your orders, whatever they are, will be followed, but perhaps our best course, now that we know why they are here, is to create a story that would be acceptable. It will be impossible to keep the incident secret from Apophis, there are too many of Ra's servants here. Our own people we could trust to say nothing, but we do not know Ra's."

Teal'c rubbed his forehead. "I know, Troy'ac. I have not had time to speak to them to find out what they wish to do. Apophis ordered me to dispose of those we did not need. I could simply dismiss them and send them to their home planets, and then he need never know. Not all of them will have homes to return to, however."

"True."

"Were any of Ra's servants around during the firefight when Ria'ta rescued me?" Egeria asked quietly. "If none of them were within sight of the grand entrance hall, then the answer to your quandary is at hand. From what our Teal'c has told us, your Jaffa have been disarmed and incapacitated in some manner. The servants that came with you are upstairs in their quarters, and Ra's house servants are making themselves very hard to find."

"As lowering as it may seem, the best alternative is to allow everyone to believe that we managed to overcome most of your forces and leave through the escape tunnel. We have a ship cloaked and waiting on us, but you have no way of knowing that. We will appear to simply disappear. And" she smiled slightly at Teal'c, "we will return our hostages after we have left."

"What hostages?" Teal'c demanded belligerently.

"Ria'ta and Nal'ka, of course. You and your Jaffa will follow us until we reach the escape tunnel, but there will be no combat because we have managed to capture Ria'ta and Nal'ka."

"If what you said about Apophis's plans for Ria'ta are true, then I believe he would rather you allow us to escape, than that you allow harm or death to come to her. That, he would not forgive, Teal'c, as I am sure, you are well aware. Yes, I can see that you and Ria'ta, in fact, all of you will know exactly how to play your roles to cover hard ground the softest and swiftest. So, as I was saying. We will "_drag_" our "_protesting and terrified_" hostages into the rings in the escape tunnels. If any servants are watching, they will see you and your Jaffa in pursuit of fleeing imposters who have taken your women captive."

"Before we enter the tunnel, we will make a show of carrying off some of the urns. We will also make sure that anyone listening will hear us tell you that we have what we came for, and that if you allow us to leave peacefully with the urns, we will return the hostages after we enter the tunnel and are safely away. They will be unharmed as long as you keep your word, on that you have our vow. However, if you break your word and attempt to stop us, we will kill first Ria'ta and then Nal'ka."

"We will further determine the details as we go along. For now, I think that we have the basics of what we are going to do."

"If any questions arise as to who we were or why we were here, no one will ever know. We were obviously impersonating people who were deceased. All of the Tok'Ra are dead and gone. Ria'ta, Nal'ka, Troy'ac, and any other of the Jaffa who saw us, and also saw us when we were captive before, can collaborate that while the disguises were good, we were definitely not the Tok'Ra that were imprisoned, escaped, and were subsequently killed a little over a week ago," Lantash added some of his thoughts to Egeria's.

"I think that would cover it. Anyone have any questions?" Selmak stepped forward to ask.

"I have one, but it is not about our present situation," Troy'ac spoke directly to the Tok'Ra. "How do you, a Tok'Ra, a Jaffa, and the Tau'ri all work so closely together? Do you not resent one another and all of the deaths that have been caused at one another's hands down through the years? Most Tok'Ra have died at the hands of a Jaffa and many Jaffa have died at the hands of a Tok'Ra. How do you set that aside? The same with the Tau'ri. The legacy is not as long, but the bloodshed is still there in many instances."

Lantash looked at Teal'c for a moment, and then turned to Troy'ac. "What good does it do to look at Teal'c's hands and see the blood of my brothers and sisters? I would rather look at them and see the blood of the Goa'uld. I have simply allowed myself to look into his heart and know that, yes, he killed many Tok'Ra, but he no longer believes that it is right to do so. He considers them his ally, no longer his enemy. He is not my enemy. He is my ally, my friend. He will kill for me, and I will kill for him. He is no longer "_other"_. He is my brother."

"I understand. It is a mental change that you have deliberately undertaken, but one that you could only undertake when you truly realized the truth of what you saw. That you are the same, that you have the same purpose, one common goal."

"Yes."

Malek stepped forward and said abruptly, "I know that these things must be worked out and are important points, but the truth is that every minute that our Teal'c is in this reality; the closer he comes to falling into the temporal distortion that can occur. We do not know if the lack of a symbiote is enough of a change to keep it from occurring, and Samantha does not believe that it will be; only that it could delay it. We have already been here several days longer than we thought would be prudent."

Teal'c whirled from Malek to the SGC Teal'c. "You carry no symbiote? How is this possible? How can this be? You are not truly myself from an alternate reality, if you are not Jaffa."

Teal'c shook his head. "I am Jaffa. We have told you that in our reality, Egeria is dead. Before she died, she helped to develop a serum, which allows the Jaffa to dispense with the need to carry a symbiote. Free Jaffa do not, at this time, have access to young symbiotes. It was a stumbling block for us, which we had thought to remedy by capturing a queen, until the Tok'Ra could find an alternative for us. Luckily, Egeria was able to do so before she died." Teal'c opened his uniform to show him the scar that was left from his pouch. "As you can see, I was once just as you are now. When the time comes you will know what to do as I have assured you before."

Both men turned as Ria'ta and Egeria stepped up to them. Neither had noticed them leave and confer some distance away, nor had they been aware of a search for writing utensil and material. "That is not something we need to worry about at the moment, Teal'c. Whether or not we have a serum is not a priority for us at the moment. If we are ever in a position to need one, I am sure that we have scientists that can work it out. Egeria has told me what to search for and assured me that it will be a simple matter as long as we know what to tell them to do."

"Yes, all right. As you say, we are not in a position to need such a thing, nor are we ever likely to be," Teal'c allowed, his voice holding some self-loathing.

"We do not yet know what our future holds. We may be surprised," was Ria'ta's calm reply.

"In the meantime, we should begin our scenario of escape. What would be the best course from here? Where are our other teammates, Teal'c?" Malek brought the conversation back to his original point, beginning to feel that they should leave as soon as possible, before something happened to stop them. "We are too close to success, too near to walking away and taking Egeria away with us, our goals completed, to have something unexpected happen to block our way and lose our advantage now. We do not wish to tarry until something happens that compromises this reality's Teal'c. We must take Egeria and Astaria, and go as quickly as possible."

Selmak stepped to a mantel and grabbed a small, ornate, but almost tasteful, urn, saying, "I agree with Malek. Let us take a few of these distressingly gaudy urns, preferably the least revolting of them, and depart for our own reality."

"I agree as well, Selmak, and as a precaution, I sent Anise, Daniel, and Sergeants Wayman, Milton, and Richards, to the ship. By now, they should have cleared our belongings from the tunnel, be aboard preparing the ship for travel, and awaiting us. Captain Adams, Captain Harmon, Lieutenant Donovan, and Jorlin are keeping watch. I believe that I have most of the Jaffa incapacitated, but they may not stay that way indefinitely, and there is always a chance that a servant will wander in at an inappropriate time."

"So, are we all agreed as to who will do what, then?" Selmak asked, as he looked around the room at the individuals. Getting nods from all, he turned to Nal'ka, saying, "You might want to retie your clothing. The bindings were taken off some time ago, but they were not returned to you."

She smiled shyly and, taking the rope-like pieces of cloth from his hand, proceeded to retie her belts, before nodding her readiness to proceed. "I am ready."

Selmak looked one last time at the group. The Jaffa were picking up their staff weapons. Malek was picking up an urn, a mate to the one Selmak had chosen. _"Sam told him to get that one. The blue and gold reminds her of that stuff she collects from France. She loves that stuff."_ Jacob reminded Selmak

_"Ah, so that is why you were so adamant that we choose that one. Well, as I said, it is not nearly as gaudy as most."_

"_Yup."_

Selmak sighed and returned to his surveillance of the room. Samantha was chatting softly with Ria'ta, and Lantash was attempting to reassure Nal'ka.

Teal'c was having a last word with Teal'c. "There is one last thing that I wish to tell you. You do not have, nor will you ever have, two of the minds that have done so much for us, for Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson will never return to your reality, so I will give you some advice that they would give you if they could. Think outside of the box, and do not be afraid to dare a plan that seems wild by normal standards. There are times when a wild plan will succeed, when a more reasonable one would fail."

He remained silent for a moment, before adding, "One other thing, Teal'c. Trust Ria'ta. I believe that perhaps she holds more of your future than you know, and she will be a strong ally, if you give her the support and trust that she deserves. Do not, under any circumstances, turn her over to Apophis. Do not allow him to make her his Queen. You will regret it forever, if you do."

"I may have no choice." Teal'c's voice was bleak.

"There is always a choice, even if we do not like it." Teal'c turned to go, but looked back over his shoulder, "Listen to your heart, it will not fail you. Good luck, my brother." Then he was gone, obviously immersing himself into the role he was about to play.

Selmak began to direct the life and death scenes that were about to be played out upon this all-too-real stage.

"Lantash, you and Samantha take the women "_hostage_". Teal'c you take point, and Malek and I will take our six. Keep the women in the center where they are protected, and yet not easily grabbed by the "_enemy"_. Teal'c, you and your men know what to do. Once we leave this room, there will be no more conversation between us, unless it is as adversaries."

"Understood, Selmak."

"Do it! Go!" The Tok'Ra leaped into action so quickly that the Jaffa were momentarily startled into the belief that what they were seeing was real. The women screamed as first Lantash, and then Samantha, grabbed them, spun them around, and anchored them to their bodies by their necks. The weapons pointed at their temples caused their screams to end in squeaks and their bodies to stiffen. They gasped, but heard no comforting words from their captors as they were dragged backward from the sarcophagus room and down the hallway. The escape had begun.

No one came out of any of the rooms to attempt to stop them. Teal'c and the other two Jaffa followed closely, often breaking off as if searching for a way to get behind them. Obviously unsuccessful, they always returned to the main escape path that the imposters were taking back toward the grand entrance. They were taking a much straighter and quicker path back. There was no longer a need for stealth. The one goal now was to arrive at the tunnel entrance.

"Teal'c, are you sure the grand entrance is empty? We can make it through the hallway with no hindrance?"

"Yes, Selmak, I am sure. We should have no trouble making it to the tunnel entrance."

"That's good, cause the open hallway's coming up through this room."

"I will scout the area. Malek, please take point." Teal'c quietly slipped quickly away to check the hall and returned almost as quickly.

"The hall remains devoid of both servants and Jaffa. It is safe for us to traverse."

"In that case, Selmak, I'm ready to attempt it again," Sam said, the quietness of her voice belying the lightness of her words. "Let's go."

The group entered the open hallway, Teal'c and his Jaffa following, still attempting an occasional feint, as if to somehow take the Tok'Ra off guard and rescue their women.

As they neared the end of the hallway, Captain Harmon stepped out from behind a pillar and took in the situation, making eye contact first with Teal'c, and then with Major Carter. Something wasn't kosher about the scene that he was seeing, but not knowing what it was, he took it at face value and simply awaited instructions.

As ranking officer, Major Carter didn't disappoint him, "Captain, we have taken two hostages. Our mission is completed, and we have identified all of the articles that we came to recover. You will proceed into the room three doors down and collect an urn that is on the mantle. I believe that it is blue and gold. From there, you will go to the tunnel and ring aboard the ship."

"We expect to arrive shortly and will leave for our" she paused as if debating what to reveal before saying, "alternative plane of existence," after deciding that anyone overhearing her would think that she was lying, in an attempt to throw suspicions off of their true destination.

"Yes, Ma'am." The officer turned at once and entered a room down the hall. He exited almost at once, a lovely urn in his hands and turned, hurrying down the hall in the direction of the escape tunnel. The group of Tok'Ra, and Jaffa weren't far behind him.

In very little time, they reached the tunnel entrance, but here they came to an abrupt stop. Lieutenant Donovan was sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall with Jorlin kneeling beside her, watching her closely. Captain Adams was standing in the hall, her P-90 held defensively, her stance wide and ready. Whatever had happened had both her and Jorlin in a state of high alert, both in regards to the Lieutenant, and to anyone coming along the hall.

"What has occurred?" Malek snapped, keeping his eyes on Teal'c and his Jaffa, yet also trying to ascertain what was wrong with Kathryn. His heart lurched, and he held himself in tight control to keep from rushing to her.

Jorlin took his place in keeping Teal'c and his Jaffa at bay, replying calmly, "We were unsure of what to do with the urn that was brought back earlier. No one said if we were to take it with us, since it was not the one that we came for, so we decided to keep it here until you returned. One of the servants attempted to reclaim it, and in the struggle for ownership, it was dropped and the seal broken. Lieutenant Donovan was the only person available, if we were not to allow the symbiote to die. She became the host and is still recovering, as it only happened a few minutes ago. The servant has been locked into a chamber."

Malek picked up Kathryn's hand and asked, his voice low, only for her ears, "Are you allowed control, Kathryn? Is she Tok'Ra?"

"Yes. She says she's called Astaria and she really wants to know what's happened to "_her_" Egeria. She says they're like best friends. She's calling her a-a heart-sibling or something like that. She's really upset and agitated, Malek. I don't know how to calm her down, and it's making me feel sicker than hell."

Malek caressed the hand he held and kissed her gently, "Tell her that she must calm down, and that Egeria is very well. She and Samantha have blended and are getting to know one another. Explain that she will be allowed to talk to her soon, but that we are in the middle of an escape, and she must remain quiet because she is making you ill. Keep reminding her to relax for the moment, until we can explain. Tell her to search your memories quietly to help her understand what is happening, if it will help, and if you can tolerate that intrusion, my love. You may be fighting her and not realize it, Kathryn, and we do not have time at the moment to help you adjust. I am sorry, but we must leave at once, my love."

He watched Kathryn's eyes glow and heard his newest mate's voice for the first time, "You fill much of your mate's thoughts, Malek, you and Devlin. I look forward to learning about you. I feel you will both be very easy to love. For now, I am very fatigued; this has been a very large shock to me. I cannot imagine how my dear Egeria is feeling. I will let Kathryn remain with you and simply continue to learn of my new world and family. Kathryn is being very patient and quite comforting and understanding. I will do as you suggested and relax. I do not wish to cause her to feel unwell."

"Thank you. You will be safe and cared for with us. Please rest, and we will talk more later, when this is all over. Soon, you will find that your ability to take care of your host will return, and you will begin to function and sense what she needs. For now, I must go."

She nodded and released control to Kathryn who smiled at him, slowly. "Don't worry. Go. We have to leave, I imagine as soon as we can. Help me up, and let's get out of here."

He agreed and then she was on her feet and turning to follow Jorlin and Captain Adams, urns in hand, into the tunnel. As Malek hesitated to step inside after her, he heard their SGC Teal'c begin to talk to the alternate Teal'c.

"We now have that which we came to recover. Our quarrel was with Ra, not Apophis, or you. If you will allow us to leave and take our possessions with us, peacefully, we will take our urns, and once we are safely away, we will return our hostages, unharmed. We assure you."

Selmak added calmly, "We wish to enter the tunnel alone with only the women. We will enter it and make our way to our predetermined pick up area. When we are safely away, you have our solemn vow that both women will be returned safe, unharmed, and unmolested in any way. So long, of course, as you keep your word and allow us to leave peacefully with our own property."

"Should you break your word, of course, then our word would mean nothing as well. We would be forced to first kill Ria'ta, a thing I cannot help but believe that Apophis would be most unhappy about, and then we would follow it with Nal'ka. Most distressing. Or perhaps we should do it the other way around, and kill Nal'ka first? Which would you prefer, Teal'c?" Lantash asked conversationally.

"You will do neither," Teal'c bit out. "You may leave peacefully." Still speaking through clenched teeth, he continued, "But, should you ever cross my path again, I will take great pleasure in killing you all. Slowly and painfully."

Lantash laughed and bowed his head in acknowledgement. "But of course, Teal'c. That is to be expected. You will follow us into the tunnel in two minutes. Then you will proceed slowly to the main chamber. You will remain there, against the far wall. Once you are there, we will return the women to you within fifteen minutes. Unharmed." Lantash backed into the tunnel, pulling Nal'ka with him. Teal'c waited two minutes and waved his Jaffa back as they would have followed him.

"I do not believe that we have anything to fear from them," he told them, his voice low. I need you here to see that no one enters this tunnel. If I do not return in thirty minutes, come for me."

He turned and entered the tunnel. He was not surprised to find Teal'c waiting for him. "Is there something more to say?" he asked abruptly. He already felt that his mind was near overload.

"No. Only that I wished to encourage you to believe in your abilities. You can do much for your people when the time is right. Do not underestimate yourself. While having the Tok'Ra and Tau'ri as allies is a comfort and a help, I do not believe it to be a prerequisite for success. That is all."

Teal'c nodded. "I will give this much thought. In one way I am glad that this has happened, for it gives me hope that a different future is possible."

"It is."

In the main chamber, Sam and Lantash stood, talking with Ria'ta. Nal'ka was still on the ship and would come down as Sam and Lantash returned to the ship. Sam looked at Ria'ta curiously, before asking, "Why are you in Apophis's household, Ria'ta? I have a feeling that you are there because you want to be, not because you have no other choice. I know that isn't very clear, but I don't know how else to say it."

"You do not have to explain, Samantha. I know what you are asking me, and I will tell you." She looked around, more from habit than because she believed that someone would overhear her, and then lowered her voice to little more than a murmur, "I belong to a resistance movement. We have worked for some time within the System Lords' households, warning worlds of imminent attacks, cullings, raids for workers for the mines, things like that. When possible, we remove the most vulnerable to safe planets, though they are few and far between. The Tok'Ra helped us in many ways, education about the Goa'uld being not the least."

She shook her head, sighing. "We are not strong enough to actively fight the Goa'uld. We are little more than a glorified protection circle. It came to our attention quite some time ago that there were rumors that Teal'c headed his own circle of protection. I was sent here, not to find out anything about Apophis, or his plans, but to see if there was any chance that Teal'c could be convinced to head up a rebellion. And if not a rebellion, then at least, add us to his network of protected people."

"I do not believe that he will do so, and though he knows the System Lords are not Gods, he will not betray Apophis. Hearing his plan to implant me with Apophis's Queen, brought his loyalties home to me today. Only someone with deep and true loyalties could do something so evil to the woman that he claims to love. Apophis's Queen is Hathor. She is pure evil. I will die before I allow myself to be implanted with her."

"I will have to leave, of course. I can only hope that Apophis does not blame Teal'c and kill him. I believe that I will arrange to make it appear that the minor System Lord Hek'tar'set, the one that had you killed in this reality, Samantha, kidnapped me. At least then he will have someone besides Teal'c to focus his anger on."

"A good plan, Ria'ta, but we must hope that what we discussed earlier will come to pass and all of your fears will come to naught." Lantash soothed.

"Yes, don't give up hope so quickly. You haven't even started to discuss any of this with him, and now that he's seen what is possible, well, you never know. And I'm sure Teal'c is talking to him, too." Sam added softly before her eyes glowed and her posture changed.

Leaning forward, Egeria whispered, "Little one, if all else fails, you will go to Azurat, and you will blend with Anasharya." Leaning back somewhat, she continued, "Then you will go to Kheb and find first the Tau'ri, then the one in the temple there. It will work out, and you will remember what else you must do."

"Yes, my Queen. I will not fail you, I give you my word," Ria'ta vowed to her. She had promised to join with the Tok'Ra and this woman would always be her Queen, no matter how old she lived to be.

Egeria leaned forward again and kissed her forehead. "No, I know you will not. I do not believe that I could have found a stronger life-mate for Anasharya. She will love you as I already do. Teal'c will be strong and he will make a strong and able consort. He will not betray you. Now, here they come. We must talk of lighter things." Egeria stated as she released control to Sam.

They walked into the main chamber, and Teal'c was at once aware of the people standing there. Of the many that had come on the mission, only Lantash, Samantha Carter, and Teal'c remained, and Teal'c immediately stepped into the rings and was swept up into the ship above them. So, only the four, or six depending on your perspective, remained.

It was obvious that a very long and serious discussion had taken place between Ria'ta and the two Tok'Ra. They turned to him, their expressions serious, and the ensuing conversation covered many topics including the future of Teal'c and Ria'ta's reality and how to explain certain events that had occurred while the imposters were there.

They spent some time explaining again how Lantash had fallen through the portal and how difficult it was to find one exact reality as they had no addresses or ways to identify them. That they had actually found the correct one had been a large chunk of luck…or predestination, depending on how one looked at things. It was very unlikely that such a thing would ever happen again.

Soon the time they had allotted themselves was gone.

Lantash reached out and caressed Ria'ta's cheek. "I cannot thank you enough for helping me that day, Ria'ta. You gave me more than you can ever know, for you gave me back the very heart of me. My Samantha means more to me than any other thing in the universe. That fate led me to her because of you, is a miracle for which I will never stop thanking the goddess…and you."

Turning to Teal'c, Lantash clasped his arm. "Cherish her, Teal'c, for a woman's love is indeed the one thing more precious than gold and more beautiful than jewels. Her loyalty and trust are the cloaks that will clothe and sooth your soul forever, her faith and passion will clasp and fire your heart unto eternity."

"I agree, Lantash. I believe you may have spoken the truest words I have ever heard. I will care for her. And she will care for me. But you must go." Teal'c lips twisted in a wry smile, uncommon for him, as he walked with them to the rings.

Stepping back, he said, "Who knows what _moira_ has in store for any of us? Perhaps we should simply say, _until we meet again_."

"Indeed." Lantash said, just before he and Sam disappeared in a flash of light.

TBC


	15. Winds of Fate 15 WDL

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**Pairing:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Daniel/Anise

Malek/Other

**Spoilers:** could be anything up through and including most of season 8

**Rating:** _Has been censored for posting on T rating._ For the NC- 17 or M+ Rated version you would need to go to my website where it can be found along with all of my other NC - 17 works. My web address is in my bio.

_**Italics -** host/symbiote communication_

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* * *

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_**Where Destiny Leads**_

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**Winds of Fate**_

* * *

The rings deposited Sam and Martouf into the cargo hold of the ship as it returned Nal'ka to the tunnel below. 

"They're aboard, let's get out of here, Jorlin," Daniel yelled as soon as they were sure that the couple was safe and in one piece. Sighs of relief could be heard from around the room.

They headed toward the area that they had found the most comfortable for gatherings and found seats for themselves amongst the others already lounging there.

"Do not allow your positions to become too comfortable," Jorlin called from the front of the ship. "The Chaappa'ai is already within sight. We will be disembarking shortly. We should be on Earth within the hour and in contact with Garshaw shortly thereafter."

"_Garshaw?" _Egeria questioned as she sensed Samantha's immediate, well, not dislike, exactly, more like anxiety. She seemed to respect the woman, but felt mild tenseness at the mention of her. _"Why does this person make you tense, my Sam?"_ Egeria again questioned instead of intruding, as she was quickly learning the parameters of the Tau'ri mind and their feelings about privacy. Indeed, much had changed in two thousand years. Humans had advanced significantly. The Tau'ri humans in particular, she suspected. For the better in some ways. Her new clutch of children would need new and more restrictive codes of conduct implanted into their consciousness.

As for Samantha and herself, they would have to work hard, but they would succeed. They already had respect for one another and the beginnings of affection. They shared a sense of humor, which was a relief. Not many Goa'uld had much of a sense of humor, but she had developed one. Samantha had been very open and sharing with her, but it had been difficult for her. It had taken great courage on her part to offer herself as a host and great determination as well. She would not let her down or disappoint her. They would build a strong and loving bond.

And Samantha had chosen strong, intelligent, and handsome mates. They would make fine consorts, as well. She was already beginning to love them. Sam's feelings were influencing hers as expected, of course, but her own were also drawn to the gentleness and the devoted, adoring, love of Martouf, and the emotional strength and hungry, fierce, passion of Lantash. Sam's "voice" brought her out of her contemplation of the images she had been enjoying of Samantha, Martouf, and Lantash making love. Bringing her thoughts back to the Councilor was difficult. She would rather contemplate the erotic picture of Mart_…"Yes, of course, I am listening, my Sam. But start again, just to be sure that I missed nothing."_ Egeria focused on Sam's words this time.

Sam grinned to herself. She had "seen" the same pictures in her mind that Egeria had. She couldn't wait to get back to that kind of recreation either, but at the moment, they had other things to talk about. She started again. _"Garshaw is a High Councilor of the Tok'Ra. We suspected that she wouldn't have allowed us to come for you when we did. She would have insisted that the idea of a rescue mission go before the council, and it would have been debated endlessly. These things usually are. Well, maybe that's not fair. It wouldn't have been all that long. They probably would have agreed to it, but we didn't feel that we had even the extra few days that it would have taken to convince them that Martouf and Lantash were really who they claimed they were, and then still have to debate the feasibility of a rescue mission."_

_"So, feeling, no, knowing that we had very little time before Apophis could find you, we kind of, um, told her that Selmak, Malek, Anise, and Jorlin had gone on a mission to rescue someone close to one of the Tok'Ra. And that there wasn't any time to waste, or they wouldn't be able to save them. She would assume that the Tok'Ra we meant was my dad and Selmak, and the person they were going to save was me, and we didn't tell her any different. We also told her that Malek, Anise, and Jorlin agreed that the mission had to be undertaken immediately, or the opportunity to save them would be gone, all of which was true, it just wasn't exactly as she thought it was. We didn't tell her about Martouf and Lantash, either, because we didn't want to have to go into the explanation of how he was from another reality and this person that we were rescuing was in another reality, and that was where we were going to rescue them. "_

"_We've been gone, well, quite a while, now. Over a week from her perspective, because we took several days in planning and getting to the planet, as well as the time that we spent looking for you, so she's probably going to be mad at my dad and everyone else, especially the SGC. She'll be livid with the Tok'Ra that left on the mission, too, because they didn't get permission from the council, or her. And, because we lied to her and everything. Of course,"_ Sam grinned, "_It won't be the first time."_ Then she sighed. _"It's just so unpleasant. She'll really blame us for leading the Tok'Ra astray, but that means she'll be upset with my dad, too. Because he's led Selmak to go against the council…again."_

"_I see. Well, perhaps she will be too shocked at seeing Martouf and Lantash to become too upset. And then she will discover that she has another Tau'ri to deal with. Two more of them, actually, when you consider that my dear Astaria is now one with a Tau'ri as well." _Egeria pointed out cheerfully.

Catching another of Sam's thoughts, as she thought of her father, Egeria smiled slightly. "_I suppose that to the Tau'ri it is a shocking thought. But, we do not have children in the sense that humans do, you know."_

_"I know. It's just that- Well, I mean, it only now occurred to me that- well, it seems odd that my father is my- my son. And so is my lover, my husband. Luckily, it doesn't compute for me in other than an abstract way, so I don't think that it will affect my sex life."_

_"I will not allow it to affect our sex life, my Sam, of this I can most stringently assure you." _Egeria responded at once.

Sam blushed, and then laughed. "_Yeah, I suppose it's ours now. Oh, wow, I'll finally know what it's like for Lantash and Martouf."_ She blushed more furiously and blurted, _"Oh, look, we're at the Chaappa'ai."_

_"Yes, we must gather our belongings and leave the ship. We will hope that nothing occurs to delay us longer, and the chances of that happening are slim. Relax, my Sam." _Egeria soothed her, calmly helping the hot flush of embarrassment to quickly recede. She was not yet completely controlling Sam's body's responses, but slowly moving to do so, so as not to make it too abrupt a change for her. Her new life-mate was proving to be a true joy to her. The depth of her emotions and her willingness to share them with her was a true blessing. She was coming to love her far more quickly than she had thought possible, and their blending was moving forward more smoothly than she had expected, as well. She only hoped that her new life-mate bonded to her as swiftly and as strongly as she was bonding with her. She was fairly sure that she was.

"Are you and Egeria ready, Samantha? We should hurry, in case Teal'c decides to try to stop us for some strange, insane reason," Lantash spoke from behind her.

As they gathered up belongings and departed the ship, she stepped up next to Kathryn and realized that she had not yet asked after her. "Kathryn? Are you doing all right? I heard most of what happened, but are you sure that you want this?"

"Oh, Sam. When the urn with Astaria was broken, she needed a host fast, and I was the only one around that could do it, so I just did it, you know. She's pretty cool now that she's calmed down about Egeria being alive and well. We thought that she'd go nuts until we convinced her that you were hosting her. Once she got close enough to sense her, she was okay again. I think that we're going to get along all right." Kathryn smiled brightly at Sam, but her eyes sought the tall figure of Devlin. The love shone from her eyes and softened her face. "She likes Dev and Malek, as well. Which is good because I'm not about to give them up now. Or ever, for that matter. I can't believe it, Sam." She laughed softly. "We'll talk later, okay?"

Sam nodded and then Egeria came forward and spoke soothingly, for Astaria to hear, "Kathryn, please tell my Astaria, if she is sleeping now, that once we are settled into our new lives, we will have a nice long talk some night, when you and my Sam are asleep and contented. I hope that she approves of her new mates. They appear quite handsome. Tell her that I am well pleased with my new consorts and look forward to getting to know them and my new life-mate. My Sam has very good taste in her men, and I believe we will be well suited to one another as well. Please assure her of that."

Kathryn laughed abruptly at Sam's face as Egeria once again returned control to her. "You should see your face. Actually, Astaria is asleep, but I will pass on the message when she awakens. I'll say this, Sam, I think that living with these two could prove interesting. I have a feeling that if we aren't careful, they're going to suggest sharing our mates. Maybe even at the same time, kind of a mini-orgy. I've been given certain images that suggest that it wasn't an uncommon event between them before. Some of the scenes that I've already been privy, to - Whew!" Kathryn waved her hand in front of her face, and Sam laughed.

She shook her head ruefully, "I think you may be right, Kathryn. I've had a few glimpses of things I'd rather not have seen, too. I really didn't want that much information. I have to admit that I like her though, in fact, I'm coming to feel quite a bit of affection for her already. She's very easy to care about. I was afraid that…well, it doesn't matter now, because I do. We'll have a long talk later ourselves, Kathryn. I think we deserve it."

"I agree. And, I know what you mean about the other, Sam, because I almost panicked myself. I didn't even know if the symbiote was a Tok'Ra. Taking her scared me to death as soon as I did it." Kathryn paled, but pulled herself back from the edge and faced the event horizon that had formed.

"Time to go. One more stop, and we are SGC bound. I almost can't believe it."

Sam nodded, as she felt Martouf walk up behind her and place his hand on her shoulder. She saw Devlin come to stand next to Kathryn. It would all work out. "I know. I feel like I've been swept up into a vortex, and I have no control over where it's going to drop us. I hope it's where we want to be. Somehow, I don't know how or why, but I believe it will be." She smiled and touched her friend's shoulder, "C'mon. Let's go."

* * *

The scientists and soldiers were still there on the other side of the mirror, and they looked up, exclaiming, as the SGC and Tok'Ra began stepping through the mirror. They had two days left in their week on the planet, and were surprised to see them returning earlier than they had expected. 

Finding out that the mission was a success was a bonus, and cheers broke out before the more quiet congratulations took over. They took a while to get through, but finally Jacob took charge, now that the group was back in their home reality, and stated firmly, "Listen folks, we appreciate all the good wishes and stuff, but we've had a really rough few days, almost no sleep, and today was very stressful, with the Jaffa turning up, so if you don't mind, we are going to head on through to the SGC."

The crowd parted at once, but Egeria was impressed with the way the soldiers reached out to shake hands and pat the backs of both the Tau'ri and Tok'Ra that passed. Impressed and pleased. The hope she read in her host's heart and mind might come to fruition after all, if the good will here was genuine. She wondered how the Tok'Ra would greet her. She suspected there would be both tension and suspicion. Of both her and Martouf and Lantash.

It seemed they would go to the SGC first, and she would meet with General Hammond and perhaps this "_President_" of the United States, her host's "_country_". Their politics seemed complicated. No doubt, she would understand it as time passed. She was simply more in tune to the ways of a world that was two thousand years in the past, and she had much to catch up on. Luckily, her host was a brilliant woman, and, it seemed that her heart's sibling, the one she felt closest to besides her mate, was a genius as well, and excelled when it came to all things ancient, pertaining to history, language, or culture. She could not have a better instructor. She sighed as she watched another event horizon form. One more path to traverse on this journey. She had to admit that she was excited. A new life and a new mate. What more could she ask?

Martouf clasped their hand warmly as he smiled down on them. Together, they stepped into one more wavering pool of blue.

* * *

"General Hammond, I believe that you are being deliberately obtuse. You are withholding information pertaining to my operatives, my people. Where are my people, General? Why will you not reveal their whereabouts to me? You have avoided every inquiry that has been directed to you, or you have instructed your people to do so. I demand an explanation." 

"Master Garshaw, I assure you, that if I knew where your people were, I would tell you. You conveniently forget that my own people are with them. I don't know where your people are. I don't know where my people are. I can't contact people I can't find.

"I find it very hard to believe that you know nothing about where your officers and soldiers have gone."

"I know that I can no longer contact them. I know they've gone to rescue someone very important to the Tok'Ra. They assured me, when they requested my help in this mission, that it was imperative that they begin the mission at once and with complete and absolute operational silence. Information was to be on a need-to-know basis only, and I have to admit, I agree with Selmak that you have no need to know at this point. Only the people on the mission needed to know where they were going, who they were retrieving, and why it was necessary for them to go at once."

"Believe me, Garshaw, this mission has me having nightmares because of the secrecy surrounding it. But, I can guarantee you this much. If they are successful, you will fully understand the circumstances of their departure, their secrecy, and the great risk that they have taken for the Tok'Ra. Yes, for the Tok'Ra, not the Tau'ri. This is strictly a Tok'Ra mission. When I said that it was a person dear to the Tok'Ra, someone indispensable to them, I was not lying to you. Even if the mission fails, and they don't return, you will agree when you finally hear the details that it was worth the risk."

"If the time comes that I decide that the mission failed and they will not be returning, then I will disclose who, what, when, where, and why. Until then, my hands are tied, and my lips are sealed."

"Now, I will have the Sergeant dial your world, but I assure you absolutely that as soon as we hear anything at all, I will contact you at once."

"This is not the last of this, General. I will be taking this up with the council and…"

"Unscheduled off-world activation."

General Hammond looked up at the control room from where he stood in the gate room with the extremely angry and irate councilor. "Do we have an IDC, Sergeant?"

"Yes, Sir, we do, and Sir…it's them. It's our _off-universe_ team. They're back, Sir." While relief was evident in his voice, there was still a thread of unease and tension underlying his words. They still didn't know if the mission had been successful.

"_Off-universe_, team, General? What did he mean by that? How could the team be off-universe?" Garshaw demanded harshly, her breath caught in her throat, as explanations, all fantastic, raced through her thoughts, only to be discarded as too outlandish to be acceptable. They had to be. Surely no one would be so insane as to go…

"Open the Iris, son." George Hammond looked calmly up at the Sergeant before turning to Garshaw and escorting her several steps away from the ramp. "Perhaps Selmak can answer your questions himself."

"To be sure he will, General. We cannot have our operatives running wild all over the known worlds without firm orders! They must realize that there will be repercussions to such actions."

"I will see to it that he is brought before the council for insubordination, the deliberate concealing of information from the council, and any other charges that pertain to this entire situation!"

"I will also see to it that he is stripped not only of his command position, but his seat on the council as well. And last, but most certainly not least, I will see to it that our Selmak is removed from your Jacob and given a more suitable host! One who will not encourage him in these _disreputable, disruptive, _and _insolent_ ways."

"However, the decision as to who is giving the orders will no longer lie solely within the council's hands, Master Garshaw. It will now also lie within mine, and there will be no sanctions of any kind brought forth over this mission. I am, in fact, quite content to have had it undertaken in the manner that those involved deemed suitable."

She paused into the dead quiet of the gate room before continuing, "As for separating Selmak and Jacob, I do not believe that it would be a sound action, from either a military tactics point of view, nor from a personal point of view, so I feel that I must veto your decision."

The entire gate room seemed to hold its breath as Garshaw stared at Samantha Carter. "I hardly see what makes you believe that you have any say in our affairs, Major Carter."

"I am sure that my Sam does not feel she has any particular say in your affairs, Garshaw, however, I do." Everyone watched as Sam's eyes brightened as they continued to stare at Garshaw and a cool aristocratic voice reverberated with her next words. "I am Egeria, and I am your Queen." Placing her hand on Martouf's arm, she walked down the ramp and over to her high councilor. "I am pleased to meet you at last, and am very happy to have been rescued, even though the circumstances are a little unusual, to say the least."

"You _died_."

"I died in your reality. I did _not die_ in Martouf and Lantash's reality, our reality." She bowed her head at Garshaw, and then turned to address General Hammond. "You must be the General that my Sam speaks so highly of. I am happy to meet you. She is an excellent and courageous soldier and has great respect for you. I would have died if she had not offered herself to me. I am grateful to her, to you, and, of course, to your government for allowing the rescue mission to take place so expeditiously."

"Perhaps there is some place we could go to discuss the discovery of our existence and our subsequent rescue? I feel sure that Master Garshaw is as confused as you all must have been at first. And I appreciate, also, General, the personal hardship you have undergone, in keeping your own counsel, thus sparing my people the disappointment of anticipating my arrival only to have the mission fail. It is much appreciated."

"I am honored to meet you, as well, ah,…"

"Egeria is all that I require, General. I have no intention of using a title when I am here, nor at most times for that matter. It is useful only for posturing, and unless I am in a confrontation with a Goa'uld, I see no reason to assume that identity. So, let us leave it at Egeria."

"Very well, Egeria. Believe me, all of the "hardships" were worth every minute to see you here and so obviously well. That the Tok'Ra now have a viable Queen, and no longer have to fear the extinction of their race is a wonderful thing. There is much to say on that head, but this is not the time or place for that. There will be time in the future for us to meet and talk. If you will all come this way, we will have a debriefing, and at the same time you can explain to Garshaw exactly what has occurred."

Egeria stepped next to Garshaw and placed her hand on her arm. There was no point in antagonizing her councilors immediately. "Would it, perhaps, be best to call the remainder of the councilors to the meeting, so that we can explain the basics to everyone at one time? That way, everyone will hear the exact same story. Once we return to the tunnels, we will go into matters in more depth and in individual exchanges if anyone wishes to, but for the moment, I believe this would be the most expedient way to assure that everyone is informed. We are all extremely fatigued. I wish to meet my councilors as soon as possible, but I will not take my host from her home at the moment. Meeting here makes the most sense."

She looked at General Hammond, "I am sure that the General would not mind arranging to have them summoned for you, Master Garshaw."

"It would be my pleasure. If you would follow me, Garshaw, I'll make arrangements. This will give our people a chance to get cleaned up and checked out while we wait for them to arrive, if you approve."

"Yes. Yes, that sounds like a suitable plan. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Sam smiled at Martouf as they headed toward their room. Once this meeting was out of the way, they could begin their life together. Well, they would begin to have a life together. It wouldn't settle down for some time. There would be teammates to become accustomed to, and the learning of everything she could about her new time and space; this technological era that they lived in here on Earth.

And she would soon have a clutch of symbiotes. She and Samantha had agreed not to put it off for more than six months at the most. She could safely have a clutch every two to three months, but it would be stressful. She might do it at first though, just to have symbiotes maturing. They were needed so badly.

They hadn't decided where she would have her clutch of symbiotes, but Azurat was her first choice. That would be one of the first worlds that they would check out. If it was still untouched, then it would be perfect, and they could go there to give birth. That was in the future, too. For now, they had reached their room. It was time to give their mates their undivided attention.

Closing the door, they sank into each others arms, sighing as their lips met, before sinking down onto the bed. It had been much too long. Later tonight, they would have time to enjoy each other fully, but for now they would draw strength and comfort from the feel of each other's arms, the beat of their hearts, and the meanings of the words of love that they whispered to one another. They were in their reality, their bed, their home. That was the most important thing of all. They were home.

* * *

Nal'ka soothed her hand down Teal'c's arm, saying softly, "It must be done this way, Teal'c. We have no choice. You must carry her in, and lay her on the altar, and you must be the one that implants her with Apophis's Queen. He will be watching. You must not hesitate, or appear to care one way or the other. Your life will be forfeit, and you know as well as I that with you gone, the remainder of us would be left unprotected. One by one, we would fall to his erratic tempers and perverse ways. We will all be dead within a year, if you do not do this. There is no other choice. She should have left weeks ago. She knew what he planned. Now, you must do as he demands, for yourself and for us." 

Teal'c looked down at the unconscious body of his lover and drew a deep breath. How he hated doing this to her, but as Nal'ka pointed out, he had no other choice. If he failed to implant her with the Queen, Apophis would kill him, and his people would no longer be protected. He could not allow that to happen. No matter what his alternate twin had said, there was not always a choice. Not at the final moment, anyway.

They had waited too long and now he must do this. All they could do now was watch and hope that nothing went wrong. That the Queen would not immediately tell everything that she gleaned from Ria'ta's mind and get them all executed. He almost laughed aloud. Either way, death could be waiting for them. A gong sounded in the distance. It was time. He must go, and he must do as he was ordered.

She did not know that it was to be tonight, and neither did he. Apophis had drugged her during the meal and then informed him after she had succumbed to the sleeping draught. He expected Teal'c to be the one to carry her into the chamber and introduce the Queen to her body. He had thought that perhaps he could arrange for someone else to do it, so that he would not have to watch it happen, but Apophis had been adamant.

Reaching down, he picked Ria'ta up in his arms and turned toward the altar room, where the implantation would take place. It would not take them long. The Queen would have no choice this time. Normally, the Queen chose her own host, but in this instance, Apophis had chosen the host he wished his Queen to inhabit.

The Jaffa guarding the door did not look at him as he approached carrying his burden, but as he reached the door, they opened it for him. He stepped inside the gaudy golden chamber and walked firmly forward with Ria'ta in his arms.

When he reached Apophis, he knelt, the girl still held in his arms.

Apophis reached out and ran his hand in a gentle caress down her soft pale cheek. "She is truly a worthy vessel for your Queen to inhabit, is she not, Teal'c?"

"Yes, my Lord, she will make a beautiful Queen, indeed." Teal'c answered stoically as Ria'ta moaned softly.

"We will proceed at once, Teal'c. You have done well, and I shall reward you greatly, and at once. I have decided to gift you with both a wife, and, because of the service you did me by saving Ria'ta there, the Pleasure Palace of Ra's. You may do what you wish with it; in fact, you may do what you wish with the entire place, for there is nothing there which I wish to hold. Nothing of worth resides on the entire planet; it is yours to do with as you wish. I shall have nothing except unpleasant recollections of the place due to the incident that occurred there. I believe that it was Hek'tar'set attempting once again to take something of value from me. That place is too close to Lord Yu's domains for me to be comfortable there, knowing that he is still at large and after what is mine."

"I thank you, my Lord. You honor me greatly, and we can begin to hunt for him at once, if it is your command."

"Yes, I do honor you. You honored me by saving my Ria'ta. And you will honor me more by bringing me Hek'tar'set's head. But enough of that. I do not wish this moment tarnished with thoughts of him. This is a joyful occasion for me and my Ria'ta. Yes, my Ria'ta." He nodded toward the female vessel waiting to bring the symbiote of the Queen that was to be implanted into her new host. As the symbiote emerged, Teal'c took her in his hands and guided her toward Ria'ta's bared neck, and watched as the symbiote entered her, while Apophis continued speaking, in triumph, "_My Queen._"

* * *

The Tok'Ra Council sat stiffly on one side of the conference table. General Hammond sat in his usual seat at one end, Jack O'Neill, now that he had sort of recovered from his shock and anger over finding out that his second in command was now a Tok'Ra, sat next to him. He found himself sitting next to Jacob who was seated next to Captain Adams. Next to her sat Lantash, then Samantha, Kathryn, Malek, Anise, Daniel, Jorlin, and Teal'c. The remainder of the mission's personnel had been released from having to attend the meeting. If they were needed, they would be sent for. 

Jacob took control of the meeting. "I'm going to give you a brief outline of what happened, what decisions were made, what intel we had that caused those decisions to be made, and what we did to accomplish the mission."

"A little over a week ago, we, that is, Anise, Jorlin, Malek, and I, were sent on a mission to examine a specific planet to see if there was any new technology there that would be of interest to the Tok'Ra, and to try out our new scanner that checks for contaminates to see how well it worked. It was an ideal location for that and we proceeded to do so."

"While we were checking the building for threats or anything of significant interest, we almost stumbled across a body lying on the floor in a back room. You can imagine our surprise when we realized that it was Martouf, and Lantash answered us when we spoke to him."

Garshaw frowned, "What made you so sure that the body was indeed Martouf, Jacob? What proof did you have? Imposters have been made before."

"We thought of that and weren't at all convinced that he was who we thought he was until he informed us that we were all dead. He had just watched us die himself, and therefore we couldn't be anything other than hallucinations brought about by his injuries. Then he demanded that we go away because we were going to cause him to be captured. He didn't need us to talk to."

"We had realized he was badly injured, of course, but at that point, we realized that he really was "_very"_ badly injured. Anise came in at about this point, having found no technology of any value or interest, and she was the one that discovered the portal that the Tau'ri had previously told us about. We turned it on, and Teal'c was standing and looking at us. It upset Lantash so much, he managed to stand with some help, but that didn't last long. We shut the portal down, realized that he had come from an alternate reality, and decided to bring him with us to our meeting here."

"I won't go into all that took place that afternoon and evening. I will tell you that he suffered a severe bout of _Amek'tel kek'ma'tel._ His delirium during the illness was enough to convince us that they were indeed Martouf and Lantash. Had it not been, then Dr. Frasier's tests would have. There is no doubt whatsoever. He is Martouf, and his symbiote is Lantash."

"He recovered and from there, I'll go straight to the most important part. During his debriefing, it came to light that in his reality, Martouf was the last living Tok'Ra, now that Selmak and Malek were deceased, and the mission that they were on in his reality was to release Egeria from captivity. Ra had just been defeated by Apophis. Ra still had Egeria. Ergo, we needed to get to Egeria before Apophis did, and Apophis was examining his new domains. Apophis was now the Supreme System Lord. There was no time to debate what to do."

"George graciously offered some of his people for the mission; we came up with a plan, and left for Martouf and Lantash's reality and the planet where we knew Egeria to be, as soon as was humanly possible."

"We all took some fairly big risks, but Teal'c's was probably bigger than most of ours, because the other Teal'c is still alive there. In fact, Teal'c being with us is what finally convinced the other reality's Teal'c that we really were not from his time and space, and that we weren't going to hang around and cause trouble for him. And as far as our Teal'c was concerned there were no problems, so we lucked out with that.

"And, that's what happened. We got there. We pretended to be Teal'c and some guests of Apophis given the run of the place, and we combed the Palace room by room, wall by wall, and urn by urn. Sam found Egeria in stasis just as the other Teal'c, and his entourage, arrived. Egeria's stasis chamber was damaged in the attempt to get it free. Sam became her host. We escaped. Here we are. End of story."

Egeria took control of Sam and stood, facing the Tok'Ra Council. "It is not exactly the end of the story. I have, of course, made some plans for my future, the future of the Tok'Ra, and our relationship with the Tau'ri, now that my host is Tau'ri."

Garshaw spoke up, asking, "Surely, you will find a new host? You cannot be willing to stay in a Tau'ri? They are not, ah, that is to say, Major Carter will not want to give up her place on SG1."

"I will not find a new host. I am very fond of my Sam. I have no intention of leaving SG1. Why should I? I believe that I will enjoy going on missions. I have been in the equivalent of an urn, for two thousand years. Unaware of it, perhaps, but now, I am ready to go out and do some things. Preferably, it will be some things that will count." Sam laughed inside her head. _"Why don't you just tell them that you have no intention of being trapped in the Tok'Ra tunnels? Being Queen has its perks, and we're going to use them. There isn't anyone that can tell us no."_

"_Hush, my Sam,"_ Egeria laughed back. "_You will make me lose my line of thought and say something inappropriate. Now quiet, my love."_

"_Spoilsport."_

"Certainly, I will have to spend some time in the tunnels, but the council has managed admirably up to now without me, and I have no problem with them continuing to do so."

"I will expect to attend meetings, however, and I may veto some things, if I disagree, but for the most part, I have no intention of making any sweeping changes. Why should I? The only place that I see myself making changes at the moment is in this stringent and impossible lack of action on your part when time is of the essence. Without their _hasty_ plans and _immediate_ action, I would, in all probability, be a prisoner of Apophis today. This must change, and we will discuss it at a later time. I am sure that we can reach a compromise between your rigidity in the matter, and my lack of structure."

"Lantash, and for the moment, Malek, Anise, and Selmak shall stay with me. Later, I may need others, but for the moment, these will be fine for the beginnings of making up my household. Selmak shall be my courier, for the time being, though he is too experienced an operative to use in that capacity for long. He will, of course be based here, and make trips to the tunnels to bring me news and to keep me apprised as to decisions I need to know about. Jorlin will be my liaison. Further changes will be implemented as we see how this works out. I will be coming to the tunnels, for an extended time, quite soon, though. Probably within the next two weeks, and of course, my household will be accompanying me. You should also expect their chosen mates, so you should expect Dr. Jackson,Captain Adams, and Lieutenant Donovan. Please be prepared for others as well."

"Have you any other questions?"

"How do we know that you are Egeria?"

"I suppose that you do not, do you? Your people found me in Ra's Palace on the planet named Pangara. My name was on the name plate on the urn. The urn on the other end of the mantle held my dear friend and lady-in-waiting, Astaria. That is the only assurance that I can give you. I suppose you could do some testing, if you want to. Do you not have some way to ascertain my authenticity? Your Za'tarc detector perhaps? Blood work? Scanners? Surely, in two thousand years, you have developed something to prove maternity and paternity?"

Anise sat up straighter at once, "Of course. I can do it right here. I do not know why I did not run the tests at once. In fact, I do not know why I did not do them on Martouf and Lantash. It is beside the point now, of course, since we have Dr. Fraisers report."

"Then please do so, Anise, and put these people out of their uncertainty."

Gathering her instruments, Anise approached. Ten minutes later, she lifted her head. "There is no doubt about it. You are our mother, our Queen."

"Wonderful. Now, are there any other questions? No? Then perhaps we should allow the General to empty his conference room. I must speak to him of a few things, and then I will firm our plans for coming to the tunnels. If you would excuse us for a short time?" Inclining her head, she took General Hammond's arm and accompanied him to his office.

Two hours later when they entered the lounge, both were smiling. Moving swiftly to Garshaw and the council members, where they sat around a table chatting with each other, almost, but not quite relaxed, she said firmly, "We will be arriving at the tunnels in one week, for about a month. I have to meet with some officials here and in Washington, but once the formalities are out of the way, I will spend time with you there and meet all of my children."

"I had thought of going at once, but felt that it was imperative that things become firmly fixed on this end first. Our ties with the Tau'ri will become increasingly important as time goes on. It will take time for my children to mature enough to become viable fighters. In the meantime, we have much to do to keep the System Lords from gaining any ground."

Garshaw stood and nodded, as they fell into step, heading toward the Chaappa'ai. They had talked about the change of circumstances that the Tok'Ra had just undergone. There would be new symbiotes. Youngsters to raise and then train as they took hosts. It had added a new perspective to the situation, and the host that the Queen had taken. A warrior host could be a blessing. There would be changes, but change was not always bad. Already, there were new breezes blowing through the tunnels. Upheaval was on its way, and it would arrive in a week. So be it.

"We will look forward to your arrival, my Queen."

Egeria shook her head. "You and everyone else will call me either Sam or Egeria, perhaps even Ria, I am thinking about it. My Sam keeps calling me that and I am finding that I like it. Only on formal occasions, which I cannot see happening, will I be addressed as your Queen. My name will do."

"As you wish, my, err, Egeria."

They looked up as the ring began to spin, and then locked, forming a lovely blue pool.

"See you in a week, Garshaw. Take care of the tunnels." Egeria turned and walked back toward the room that she was coming to know as theirs. Sam's, hers, Martouf's, and Lantash's. She couldn't wait to get there and be within their arms.

* * *

Apophis's Queen stood gazing out the viewing window aboard her mothership. Soon, they would be approaching Earth, and everyone there would know exactly what Apophis's Queen had in store for them. 

She heard the slight rustle behind her that indicated someone had entered, but she had no need to turn to recognize who it was. She would know that scent anywhere, just as she would know the feel of those hands on her body. As he came to stand behind her and gaze out the viewing window with her, he pulled her curves into the hardness of his body and clasped his arms around her waist as he nuzzled her throat just below her ear.

"What are you thinking, my Queen? What shall we do first?"

"Has Apophis suggested anything? He does occasionally have a valid idea. You should not dismiss him out of hand, Teal'c, just because you are jealous of him."

Teal'c frowned. "I am not jealous of that overdressed excuse for a man. I just don't know why you put one of their best tacticians in that former, well, you know."

"Teal'c, my love. How many times must I tell you that we need all of the knowledge that we can accumulate around us. The war is coming. It will not be long now before the other System Lords realize that Apophis is dead, and that Anasharya, daughter of Egeria, has not only taken over his holdings and his Jaffa, but is now also Supreme System Lord. More than that, she is freeing Worlds, who are then joining her in a Federation of Planets to attempt to confine the other System Lords to their own sections. It will be much time before we can invade them, but we have a good start."

"I still cannot believe that this is true. That my dreams for my people are within my grasp, and that it is due to the Tok'Ra…and you, Ria'ta, you and your faith in me and my abilities."

"I knew from the moment I saw you that you were a man among men, Teal'c, and meant to lead the people to freedom. The resistance leaders knew it. The Tok'Ra could have killed you, but they, too, felt it."

"I am glad that we met with our mother yesterday. Anasharya missed her, you know. Not that she hasn't always been separated from her, but now, knowing that she is alive, but not here, I think it makes the sadness deeper. She really understands why she went, though. Her mate is there, and she knew that we had an excellent chance at success, even without her. Our reality doesn't need two viable Queens when they have none. She's glad that she went, for that reason."

"I agree. And she was very pleased about the Tau'ri, our plans to free the planet, and for an alliance with those there. Those that we are returning to their home planet will have much to assimilate, I am afraid."

"It will all take time, Ria'ta, but we will all work at it steadily. The future is waiting for us, and we are going out to meet it. What more could we ask?"

Teal'c took her lips in a soft kiss, pulling her closer and resting her against him, before returning his gaze to the viewing window. They stood wrapped in each other's arms, looking into the future.

* * *

Sam laid her head back against the smooth, warmth of Martouf's chest, and sighed in bliss. Stars of the Universe, but he felt good, so damn good. Six months, one day, and some odd hours ago, she had walked into a briefing and found the man that she had loved more than any other in her life. The two beings whose deaths had cut so deeply into the very soul of her that it had nearly destroyed her. The man that she had thought never to again see in this lifetime. Now, she reveled in every minute that she was with him, them, their body, and their essence. There were times that it quite literally still took her breath away. Times when the pain of their loss would catch her again and she would have to reach out and touch them, reassure herself that they were really there. With her. 

She still, occasionally, had trouble with the "_him, them_" thing, though she thought of them more and more as him. They were one being. She had one desperately deep and abiding love for them. They were two distinct personalities, with two love-making styles, but their essence was inseparable, one from the other.

It was confusing even to her, for she also saw them as two. She sighed again. It didn't matter. They could be two male beings one lying on either side of her and she would still love them both, equally. At its most elemental point, that was what she had discovered. She loved them both so much that she couldn't separate the love she held for one from the love she held for the other. It was an overwhelming love and it always would be. Feeling his skin, cooler now, and firm, against her like this was pure bliss. Soon, she knew, it would be gliding over hers. Soon.

His arms came around her as she snuggled deeper into his embrace, and she felt his breath on the nape of her neck as he nuzzled the back of her neck. "What are you thinking of, my love? Have you recovered from our trip to Azurat?"

Samantha laughed, "I recovered from that by that evening, Martouf. It was very easy, you know. I didn't feel anything this time, either, or at least, very little; Egeria took care of every thing. And the symbiotes will be fine there. The lake is perfect for them. I'm so glad that we've been able to start a new Tok'Ra family right away. And Egeria thinks that after studying so many different types of people and talking with the President, different military leaders, scientists, and others, she has a fair idea of what the symbiotes need to know to be able to blend successfully with a Tau'ri, or any other, more developed human."

"We can't suppress the natural Goa'uld tendencies, what makes them the species that they are; that would be counter productive, but there are some areas where compromise is possible, and she believes that she achieved it. Arrogance can be tamed a lot, or changed to confidence without the irritability factor. I have confidence in her. Look at how wonderful many of her older children have turned out." Sam turned in his arms to smile up at him. Tracing his lips tenderly with her fingers, she whispered, "I love you and Lantash so much, Martouf. Both of you. You know that. Egeria is coming to care for you both very much as well. I think that she will tell you soon. I shouldn't be telling you, I suppose, but I sense that you are both beginning to love her as well."

"Yes, I know that you love us both. It is our greatest joy, Samantha. Just as we both love you. And, you are correct; Egeria has become very dear to us. She has become such a part of you. It is as it should be, of course, but it is always a surprise when it happens so quickly. Coming to love her crept up on us, I suppose. It seems odd to love one's Queen in a sexual and romantic way."

Sam laughed at him, saying, "I understand. I'm glad, for I love her myself." She shivered as his hands stroked softly down her arms. "She doesn't usually think of herself as your Queen, and the thought _never_ crosses her mind when we're on fire in your arms, my love." Sam smiled up at him.

"You have always been our destiny, Samantha. From the first moment that we saw you. At times, it seems as if we have loved you forever, perhaps for many lifetimes. You are our love, our life, our very reason for living. And now Egeria is part of you, and we are coming to love her as well, as we have told you. Soon we will love as one, as you love us. It will come."

Sam smiled at them. "I know that you will, and so does she. She feels the same. You know that. She loves you both."

Lying still, she looked up at him and marveled at how intense were the emotions that he invoked in her. How she loved these men. Martouf, sometimes so tentative, as if afraid he would frighten her away should he move too quickly, moving slowly, eyes gleaming in wistful need. Martouf, in all his many sweet and gentle moods, could still become the wild and ardent lover, leaving passion's marks on her body, only to soothe them with long slow kisses that drugged her senses, until they were totally submerged, and she knew nothing, felt nothing, but him, only him.

And Lantash, sometimes so wild, so hungry, a yearning force that nothing could stop, nor would she ever want to. He was her warrior coming to take the maiden from the dragon, and the dragon be damned. He washed over her in great tidal waves of desire, drowning her in emotion almost too deep to bear. Lantash, dear heaven above, Lantash, with so much raging passion within him, could turn so suddenly gentle and loving, that she would cry when he satisfied her, over and over, loving her, before he took his pleasure, and then pleasuring them both until the emotions would go so deep, so very deep, there were no words.

The loving feel of Martouf's hands on her reminded her of what he was doing. She moaned softly, "You should stop. I can't think when you do those things to me, and I wanted to ask you how you felt about our trip to the Portal yesterday. We didn't have time to discuss it last night, what with having to attend that diplomatic dinner and then having to go out and help on P5X-232 with that evacuation."

Martouf sat up against the headboard of the bed and drew Sam up with him, sighing deeply, but understanding her need to discuss what they had found out about his original reality. Still he could not stop caressing her soft, silky skin. She shivered slightly and pressed more firmly against him, feeling him rise even more, harder, nudging, rocking against her, reacting to the feel of her body as he always did; she was not denying him access to her body. Still, his mind drifted to her question as he continued to caress her.

It floated to the plans Egeria had made with Ria'ta to meet them at the Portal in six months. The six month anniversary had come; Egeria had gone to greet her daughter, and they had been there to meet them. They had been smiling.

"They appeared happy. And things seemed to be going well."

"Yes. I'm glad that it's all worked out for them. I'm looking forward to seeing them in six months time."

"I am as well."

They lapsed into silence, both thinking of what Ria'ta and Teal'c had told them.

Ria'ta had indeed been able to convince Teal'c that the time for him to act was upon them. When he had learned that he would not be alone, that there would be Tok'Ra to help him, this alternate reality twin's words had made more of an impression, and he had at once known what to do. He had been surprised to learn that Ria'ta's mission had been to keep him under surveillance, not Apophis, and to report on his activities.

Ria'ta had been implanted with a Queen, but not the one Apophis expected. Not that he had been aware of that. Hathor had lost her head after her extraction from her host, and the Tok'Ra Queen had taken her place. The plans had called for Apophis to meet his fate soon after, and his host had taken a Tok'Ra symbiote so that it appeared that he was still in command of his army and was still the Supreme System Lord.

In conjunction, Anasharya's consort took Teal'c as his host after Teal'c disposed of the symbiote in his pouch. Once implanted, the symbiote healed the pouch as an unneeded organ. Oddly enough, many of Teal'c's most loyal Jaffa, after seeing how well Teal'c and his new Tok'Ra symbiote got along, had chosen to become Tok'Ra themselves, many mentioning having heard what Lantash had said to Troy'ac about accepting the exchange of one blood for another and turning from enemy to ally. Teal'c's blending had convinced them that it could be done with success. So far, none had regretted their blending and becoming Tok'Ra.

Secret plans were underway with the Tau'ri to hand Earth back over to them, the Tau'ri that wished to return would be helped to do so, and to begin life there again. Ria'ta and Teal'c would form an alliance with whatever government formed there, along with the Free Jaffa that was slowly springing up as the underground network began to whisper of who was truly in charge of Apophis's army and worlds.

The resistance had been a ready pool of hosts for the Tok'Ra, along with the small number of Jaffa, so that had not been a problem, either. Soon, the Tok'Ra would command the most powerful of the Goa'uld armies. A takeover from within that was slowly freeing worlds that were willing to join a Federation of Planets held together by similar needs and trade, diplomatic ties, and needs for protection. Perhaps it would work. At least, it looked as if his old universe, his old reality was well on its way to a chance for freedom.

Whether or not it succeeded was anyone's guess. They had been clever in taking over Apophis's domain; he'd give them credit for that. He was almost sure that their own Teal'c and Egeria were behind the way they had finally come to take over. What they said to the alternate Teal'c and Ria'ta, he didn't know, but there had been several hushed and serious conversations between them. Not to mention the somewhat cryptic statements that had occasionally been made.

In their own reality, they still had a very uphill battle against the System Lords, but between them all, the Tau'ri, the Jaffa, and the Tok'Ra they now had a fighting chance. A real fighting chance, where the Tok'Ra could actually work both inside gathering intelligence as they had for the last two thousand years, and as many had always been eager to do, take actual physical action in overt rather than covert ways.

He looked down at the golden head that nestled so trustfully on his chest, and felt the body that rested so softly along his as his hands continued in their slow caresses. Soon they would make love. Sweet, slow, tender, wild, passionate, love. _"It is a glorious feeling, is it not, Martouf? One which we thought never to feel again."_

_"Indeed, it is more than we would ever have thought possible. A little over six months ago, we were in despair and wondering where we should, or could, go to hide as we were the last Tok'Ra alive. We were alone in our universe and had nothing to hold on to. Nothing to live for. Today, we have our lives before us, and everything to live for. We are no longer alone, and we have everything we could possibly desire, Lantash."_

"_Yes. And it is all because I was exhausted and fell through a mirror, a portal, to another reality. All because when we were found, we decided that we had nothing more to lose, and we might as well follow…where destiny leads."_

_"Yes, but at the moment, I think our destiny is leading us somewhere else, Lantash, in fact, I am almost sure of it,"_ Martouf gasped as Sam's lips caressed his shoulders and continued to move lower, branding them as they traveled across his skin, downwards, while her fingers left trails of red hot fire behind.

_"Ah, yes, that is, um, I think, no…..Martouf, I do not, ah, believe that thinking is, mm, what we should, ah, be attempting at the moment. Perhaps Destiny will, um, be kind and just Lead the way….mm…"_ "Yes…Samantha, love…ah, our Samantha, we love you, more… and more. More than forever, ah,… stars of fire…we are drowning deep within you, and you are burning us alive, you are our heart…our soul…our…dearest…love."

A soft breeze swept the room, unnoticed by the lovers on the bed. The winds of fate, they swirled once, then calmed, their quest completed.

The End


End file.
